Before I Go To Sleep - SJ Watson.

First published: 1st January 2011
Published: 5th January 2012

Format: Paperback

Publisher: Corgi
Pages: 384
Age Group: Adult

Challenge: ABC Challenge, Read and Review Challenge, 100+ Books Challenge,
Buy this book: Amazon UK

Synopsis [Amazon UK]

'As I sleep, my mind will erase everything I did today. I will wake up tomorrow as I did this morning. Thinking I'm still a child. Thinking I have a whole lifetime of choice ahead of me ...'

Memories define us. So what if you lost yours every time you went to sleep? Your name, your identity, your past, even the people you love - all forgotten overnight. And the one person you trust may only be telling you half the story.

Welcome to Christine's life.

The cover...

I think this cover could have been better.  I like it, but I just don't get it.  There's an eye and then you can vaguely make out a window and a house through the window but that's it.  I think the picture within the eye should be more distinct, perhaps showing an image of the main occurrence within the book. Or maybe I'm not getting the significance?  I just adore the feeling of this cover.

How did I find out about this book?

I heard about this book through a promotion that Waterstone's was holding.  I initially didn't want to buy it as I was low on funds but I was forever seeing it in shops and so I eventually bought it.

What is this book about?

This book is about a women named Christine who loses her memory every night when she goes to sleep.  She either wakes up thinking she is still or a child or a women in her twenties instead of the forty seven year old women that she actually is.  For nearly twenty years of her life she has being doing this and every day is like the beginning of her life all over again.  Christine has to find out what happened to her that made her this way as well as find a way to live with it. 

My opinion...

As soon as I started reading this book my first thought was 'this is similar to 50 first dates' and I absolutely adore that movie.  However, I came to find that Christine's memory loss was completely different to the memory loss that Lucy (the main character in 50 first dates) experiences.  Christine forgets almost everything about her life whereas Lucy remembers what happened before her accident but cannot make any new memories and so is therefore repeating the same day over and over again.  It really makes you ask the question of 'what must their life be like from one day to the next?'.

In relation to the characters I didn't actually connect with any of them.  I couldn't get a clear image of what any of the characters looked like even though pictures and visions in mirrors were mentioned on numerous occasions.  It got to a point where I just wanted the story to move on and tell me what happened instead.  However, the repetition did give an idea of how Christine's days are and how she needs to keep reminding herself of facts and memories to move on herself.  Although, for the book to be written in a female's perspective by a male author was great.  The intricate details of Christine's life as not only a women but as a women who has lost her memory were portrayed perfectly, in relation to how she feels in her current body as well as thinking that there is a younger one inside of her which in her mind splits her in to two different people.  It would have been great to see Christine freak out about her situation more, just because I feel that being in that situation would cause so much stress and panic but Christine seemed to be able to deal with it in a calm manner, finding the book and reacting positively to everything that had been written down, but maybe that's possible in some cases?

The minor problems I found were that Christine knew what things like touchtyping were even though she wakes up not even knowing what a computer is.  Also, there was a lot of repetition of words in the book that I thought was unnecessary, especially the word 'Darling', it begun to get on my nerves after a while.

The thing I loved about the end segment of this book is that it kept you in suspense.  You didn't know where the story was going and when you thought you had a clue it was replaced with a completely different revelation.  It would have been great if the whole book was like the final segment because as soon as I got to it I couldn't put it down and that's the main reason why I can't say I dislike this book.

I have got to say I didn't like the ending, I want to know what happened!

If you enjoyed this book: what to read next...

This book has encouraged me to read the non-fiction book about Clive Wearing, who has similar memory loss to that of the main character Chrstine.  It is written by his wife Deborah Wearing and it is titled Forever Today - A Memoir of Love and Amnesia.  I don't usually read books like this but the memory loss really intrigues me.  Although I would really encourage you to watch 50 First Dates if you haven't seen it. I know it's not a book but it is an amazing movie!  If you would rather read a similar book I suggest Before I Forget by Melissa Hill, she is a great author!

Teaser Tuesday [2].

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Should Be Reading.

The book I am currently reading is:

Fracture by Megan Miranda






I am on page 66 and here is the teaser:

When they left my room, the tears came.  From anger.  From frustration.  From rage.  I didn't do it.

Do you want to join in? 

Grab your current read.  Open to a random page.  Share two "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page.  Be careful not to include spoilers! Share the title & author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!

In My Mailbox [3].

‘In My Mailbox’ is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren.

The books I bought this week are:

Everneath by Brodi Ashton [Amazon UK]
The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith [Amazon UK]
The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg [Amazon UK]

I will update this post with links to my reviews once they are posted.

Catch Up Sunday [2].

Catch Up Sunday is a weekly post I created to highlight what I have posted this week.

Memes:

[1] In My Mailbox [2]
[2] 'Waiting on' Wednesday [2]
[3] WWW Wednesday [2]
[4] Catch Up Sunday [1]

Updated Challenge Posts:

[1] Debut Author Challenge
[2] Witches & Witchcraft Challenge
[3] ABC Reading Challenge
[4] 101+ Books in a year Challenge
[5] Read and Review Challenge

Reviews:

[1] A Witch in Winter by Ruth Warburton
[2] Switched by Amanda Hocking

Switched - Amanda Hocking.

Published: 5th January 2012
Format: Paperback

Publisher: Tor
Pages: 356

Challenge: Debut Author Challenge 2012
Buy this book: Amazon UK

Synopsis [Amazon UK]
Wendy Everly knew she was different the day her mother tried to kill her and accused her of having been switched at birth. Although certain she’s not the monster her mother claims she is – she does feel that she doesn’t quite fit in . . . She’s bored and frustrated by her small town life – and then there’s the secret that she can’t tell anyone. Her mysterious ability – she can influence people’s decisions, without knowing how, or why . . . When the intense and darkly handsome newcomer Finn suddenly turns up at her bedroom window one night – her world is turned upside down. He holds the key to her past, the answers to her strange powers and is the doorway to a place she never imagined could exist. Förening, the home of the Trylle. Finally everything makes sense. Among the Trylle, Wendy is not just different, but special. But what marks her out as chosen for greatness in this world also places her in grave danger. With everything around her changing, Finn is the only person she can trust. But dark forces are conspiring – not only to separate them, but to see the downfall of everything that Wendy cares about. The fate of Förening rests in Wendy’s hands, and the decisions she and Finn make could change all their lives forever...

The cover...

This cover is absolutely gorgeous.  I have seen a few covers for this and each of them are lovely, but the beautiful orange colour of the butterflies and the name of the author stand right out.  The title of the book is simple white yet also makes the cover look wonderful.  Even the feeling of the cover is amazing.

How did I find out about this book?

I bought this book for the Debut Author Challenge that I am participating in.

What is this book about?

A girl named Wendy has felt like an outsider all of her life until one day when she meets Finn and he tells her that she is an outsider but to look at it positively as she is a Trylle and has a whole other world to go to where she will feel at home with people who are just like her.  Along with being a Trylle tribe member, Wendy also has the power of influencing other peoples' minds and she uses this to her advantage on occasions such as being let off from going to the principals office.  Finn trys to take Wendy with him to Förening and at first she is reluctant to go but with another tribe known as the Vittra try to take her with them for negative reasons she knows she has to leave with Finn.  By doing so, she finds out a lot about why she became a changeling and the life she never knew she had as well as the realisation of what this means for the one she is leaving behind.

My opinion...

Wow, the five page prologue was enough to get you hooked alone.
(I don't think I can review this book properly without giving spoilers but I'll try my best.)

The book then opens with explanations of exactly what happened between Wendy and her mother and how she came to live with her aunt and her brother.  Beginning a book like this, telling the reader exactly what is going on and how it came to be, is excellent.  It gives the reader straight away an inkling of how the story will take shape and the structure of what is to come.

I think I warmed to Wendy instantly it was the way in which she was described and how she came across to the reader in her coversations.  Come to think of it, every characters' personalities was described perfectly as well as every setting.  The adjectives and wording used gave you a clear image in your head of what was going on inside Wendy's head and exactly what she was seeing.  I was able to picture where Wendy was standing and what was going on around her as well as how the other characters were positioned.  The only problem here would be that I would have liked a bit more description on exactly what each character looked like, with perhaps a significant feature of each character to focus on as Trylle members were described as having earth tones to their complexion and eyes and hair and I consistently thought of them all as looking exactly the same.

All of the different abilities within this book really intrigued me especially Eloras.  It gave an insight into her troubled life and how she became so strict and somewhat bitter.  It would be great if an artist was able to portray the paintings to give them a more realistic image.

The use of endearments such as 'foxy guy' were amusing to me and made me warm to the book and Wendy even more.  I could especially relate to her use of sarcastic wit.  As Wendy went from disliking Finn and thinking he was creepy to finding him irritating and then to actually liking him, we got to see exactly how the story unfolded and could see why she was falling for him.

I love the way in which the book is written.  It flows perfectly from one page to the next and it is as if the author knows exactly what questions are going to seep into your mind because it feels like you haven't had enough time to form the question before it is already answered.  The only question I thought of to ask was 'What happened to the other child once it was switched for a changeling?' but yet again as I read on that was answered too.

I adore the headings of the chapters giving you a small inkling of what is about to happen next.  The chapters are also of perfect length with the only negative, if you are rather busy, being that you instantly want to read more (maybe this is just me as if I need to put a book down I would rather do so at the end of a chapter rather than in the middle of a page), however this can also be seen as a positive.  I love that the author gave us extra chapters on the Vittra tribe giving you their point of view before the fight and seeing their way of life.

I read the book in one sitting and was enthralled and I cannot wait to see what happens next!

If you enjoyed this book: what to read next...

Book Two of this book is titled 'Torn' and is released on March 1st of this year.  I will definitely be picking up a copy.

WWW Wednesday [2].

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Should Be Reading. 

[1] The book I am currently reading is:

Before I Go To Sleep by SJ. Watson

[My Review]

Buy this book: [Amazon UK]

 

[2] The book I just recently finished is:

Switched by Amanda Hocking

[My Review]

Buy this book: [Amazon UK]

 

[3] The book I think I will read next is:

Fracture by Megan Miranda

[My Review]

Buy this book: [Amazon UK]

'Waiting on' Wednesday [2].

'Waiting on' Wednesday [WoW] is a weekly meme hosted by The Breaking Spine.

My WoW selection this week is:

The Selection by Kiera Cass.

Release Date: 7th June 2012.

Publisher: Harper Collins.

Buy this book: Amazon UK

Synopsis [Amazon UK]

Thirty-five beautiful girls. Thirty-five beautiful rivals…

It’s the chance of a lifetime and 17-year-old America Singer should feel lucky. She has been chosen for The Selection, a reality TV lottery in which the special few compete for gorgeous Prince Maxon’s love.

Swept up in a world of elaborate gowns, glittering jewels and decadent feasts, America is living a new and glamorous life. And the prince takes a special interest in her, much to the outrage of the others.

Rivalry within The Selection is fierce and not all of the girls are prepared to play by the rules. But what they don’t know is that America has a secret – one which could throw the whole competition… and change her life forever.

 

The cover is absolutely gorgeous.  It caught my eye instantly.  The dress and its colour is beautiful.  The font and crown of the tile adds that extra amazing finishing touch to the cover.

There's only one question I'm going to ask just now and that's 'What's her secret!?' I can't wait to find out!

I would love to know what your 'waiting on wednesday' selection is this week...

A Witch in Winter - Ruth Warburton.

Published: 5th January 2012

Format: Paperback

Publisher: Hodder

Pages: 368

Challenge: Debut Author Challenge 2012/Witches & Witchcraft Challenge 2012

Buy this book: Amazon UK

Synopsis [Amazon UK]
Anna Winterson doesn't know she's a witch and would probably mock you for believing in magic, but after moving to the small town of Winter with her father, she learns more than she ever wanted to about power. When Anna meets Seth, she is smitten, but when she enchants him to love her, she unwittingly amplifies a deadly conflict between two witch clans and splits her own heart in two. She wants to love Seth, to let him love her - but if it is her magic that's controlling his passion, then she is as monstrous as the witch clan who are trying to use her amazing powers for their own gain.
When love is tangled up in magic, how can you be sure what's real?

The cover...

I really like this cover.  It gives you the perfect image of what Anna could look like and where she is now living.  I don't know what it is, but for me lightning strikes on a cover are absolutely gorgeous!  The font of the title captures the eye and fits in with the design too.

How did I find out about this book?

I bought this book for the Debut Author Challenge that I am participating in.

What is this book about?

This book is about a girl named Anna who moves from London to a town named Winter with her dad as he has been made redundant and wants them both to make a fresh start.  Anna's new start in Winter doesn't turn out great though as whilst drunk at a sleepover with her new school friends they all use an enchantment spell on their crushes, however only Anna's works! She then tries to stop the enchanted boy from loving her and ends up falling in love with him too.  Through trying to stop the enchantment she is showing her presence in the town to the other witches and the 'rulers' and this brings troubles, storms, and unexpected connections.

My opinion...

Maybe my expectations are far too high in regards to books involving the supernatural.  For a witch, Anna doesn't seem to do that much magic until the end of this book.  She doesn't know how she is a witch and no one seems to tell her.  We get an inkling that it came from her mother who disappeared when Anna was young but other than that we are told nothing and that really bugged me.

I want to ask 'where's the drama?'...It seems like this book is slow, it takes a while to get to the action telling you all the small parts of a story that people usually leave out because they're boring.  When there was a bit of drama it felt like it was over before it started.  There should be more explanation and depth into the various storms and the characters involved should be voicing their feelings in regards to the freak storms 'out loud' instead, for example, of just third person 'I swore'.  Perhaps the author was trying not to use swear words but there are plenty more words that can be used and if the word 'tit' was used (although the author seems to be going down the British route) then why not go the full hog.

The main focus of the book was on Anna's enchantment on Seth and it got to a point where I'm thinking, 'is this it? Storms and 'fake love'?'.  It also made me ponder whether the enchantment was already gone but just being dragged on until the main scene, and that Seth actually 'liked' Anna (as Anna also continuously reminded Seth of this).  I couldn't relate to the main character of Anna at all, it just seemed like she was selfish in a way thinking of how her life would be turned upside down rather than everyone else's.  She did mention her loved ones but it was more in relation to how they were there for her.  In regards to loved ones are they really her loved ones? They just seem to be in her life because their connection is the title of 'witch'.

From the start the character of Seth is my favourite.  His anger and passion is portrayed through the strong use of adjectives and it makes you warm to him instantly.  You just want him to get the girl in the end.  However, as far as characters go Seth is the only one, in my opinion, who gets the most attention, he even draws the attention away from Anna slightly and she's the main character.  Some characters are introduced into the storyline by what seems to be name only and it would have been good to find out a bit more about them, especially Maya and Emmaline.  Other characters were brought into the story for a short period and then seemed to disappear - this being in reference to June, Prue and Liz, they are the ones who are with Anna when the enchantment spell was done but it seems that that was their soul purpose and it might have been better to keep at least one of them in the story as perhaps a confidante of Anna, as she doesn't seem to have anyone else.

It seems like a lot of characters had no back story they just appeared when needed and it would be great if in Book Two we find out more from them.  As I already mentioned, even Anna's backstory in regards to her mother isn't revealed either. Mainly, I think there should be some kind of point of view from the Ealdwitans.  You basically only hear that they are the rulers and are bad, but why are they bad? Who exactly are they?  Where did they come from? Who are Mr Brereton's 'friends' exactly? etc. etc. ...

To be honest I was quite disappointed with this book. Although, in the last few chapters the book actually starts to fight back along with Anna,which makes me intrigued as to where it will go next...but it had all the potential and ingredients to be a great first novel,  I just think there was far too much added in to one book and it should have just focused on one or two main aspects (especially since it's a trilogy), therefore it just didn't do it for me in the end.  However, this doesn't mean that I won't be reading Book Two, as I said there is so many unanswered questions and it will annoy me until they get answered.  You never know, it might grow on me.

If you enjoyed this book: what to read next...

Book Two of this book is released in July of this year titled 'A Witch in Love'.  Until then I suggest reading The Secret Circle.  I have watched The Secret Circle tv show and I have been dying to read the books.  I usually don't like to compare the books to the tv shows as in a lot of cases they are completely different, but if the books are even half as good as the tv show then I can't wait to read them!

In My Mailbox [2].

‘In My Mailbox’ is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren.

I was gifted the following:

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling [Amazon UK]

The books I bought this week are:

Fracture by Megan Miranda [Amazon UK]
The Help by Kathryn Stockett [Amazon UK]
Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen [Amazon UK]
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens [Amazon UK]
Emma by Jane Austen [Amazon UK]

I will update this post with links to my reviews once they are posted.

Catch Up Sunday [1].

I created Catch Up Sunday to put links to all of the posts from the previous week for people to see what you have gotten up to that week.

Week Beginning 16th January 2012 & Ending 22nd January 2012.

Since I only started this blog again just before this week, I have added in any posts from then too.

Memes:

[1] In My Mailbox [1]
[2] Teaser Tuesday [1]
[2] 'Waiting on' Wednesday [1]
[4] WWW Wednesday [1]

Challenges:

[1] Debut Author Challenge
[2] TBR Pile Reading Challenge
[3] Witches & Witchcraft Challenge
[4] Classic Double Challenge
[5] ABC Reading Challenge
[6] Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge
[7] Harry Potter Reading Challenge
[8] Zombie Challenge
[9] 101+ Books in a year Challenge
[10] Read and Review Challenge

Reviews:

[1] Tempest by Julie Cross

Read and Review Challenge 2012.

The tenth challenge that I am participating in this year is the Read and Review Challenge!

This challenge is hosted by Should Be Reading and is to essentially review every book you read in 2012.

I will update this post with links to my reviews once they are posted.

[1] Tempest by Julie Cross
[2] A Witch in Winter by Ruth Warburton
[3] Switched by Amanda Hocking
[4] Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson
[5] Fracture by Megan Miranda
[6] The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith
[7] Everneath by Brodi Ashton
[8] The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg
[9]

100+ Books In A Year Reading Challenge 2012.

The ninth challenge that I am participating in this year is the 100+ Books In A Year Reading Challenge!

This challenge is to read 100+ book of any genre in 2012.

I will be updating this post with the books that I read as the year goes on:

[1] Tempest by Julie Cross
[2] A Witch in Winter by Ruth Warburton
[3] Switched by Amanda Hocking
[4] Before I Go To Sleep by SJ Watson
[5] Fracture by Megan Miranda
[6] The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith
[7] Everneath by Brodi Ashton
[8] The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg
[9]

To find out more about this challenge and to sign up click on the button below!

Zombie Challenge 2012.

The eighth challenge that I am participating in this year is the Zombie Challenge!
The challenge is to read as many Zombie books as you can in 2012.

The levels are as follows: [1] One Chomp: Read 6 Zombie books; [2] Two Chomps: Read 12 Zombie books; [3] Three Chomps: Read 18 Zombie books; [4] Four Chomps: Read 24 Zombie books.

The level in bold is the one I have chosen, I don't think this will change as I have many other challenges that I am participating in and I think I can only manage six for this challenge, but we'll see!

I will update this post with every book that I read relevant to this challenge.

To find out more about this challenge and to sign up click on the button below!

Harry Potter Reading Challenge 2012.

The seventh challenge that I am participating in this year is the Harry Potter Reading Challenge!

The challenge is to read all seven books of the Harry Potter series in 2012.

[1] Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
[2] Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
[3] Harry Potter and the Prison of Azkaban
[4] Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
[5] Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix
[6] Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
[7] Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows


To find out more about this challenge and to sign up click on the button below!



Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge 2012.

The sixth challenge that I am participating in this year is the Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge!

This challenge is to read as many books from the 2011 Book Blogger Recommendation List as you can.

The levels are as follows: [1] Read 5 books; [2] Read 10 books; [3] Read 15 books; [4] Read 20 books; [5] Read 20+ books.

The level I have chosen is in bold and the books from the list I plan to read are (the number listed is the number they ranked in the list):

3 - Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
10 - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
12 - Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini
17 - Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
31 - Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling
45 - The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien
93 - Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
114 - The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
152 - Forever by Maggie Stiefvater
180 - Goodnight Mister Tom by Michelle Magorian
181 - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
226 - Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
231 - Matched by Ally Condie
246 - Across the Universe by Beth Revis
257 - Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman

The level and the books chosen are subject to change.  I will score out each book that I read as the year goes on.


To find out more about this challenge or to sign up click on the button below!



ABC Reading Challenge 2012.

The fifth challenge that I will be participating in this year is the ABC Reading Challenge!

The challenge encourages you to read a book that begins with each letter of the alphabet from A-Z.  I don't know whether this is only 2012 releases or not, but I'll give that a try at first and if I don't think I can do it (due to funds) then I'll just read books that I already own to fill up the missing letters!

I will be updating this post with the books that I read as the year goes on:

A - A Witch in Winter by Ruth Warburton: Released January 5th 2012.
B -
C -
D -
E - Everneath by Brodi Ashton: Released February 2nd 2012.
F - Fracture by Megan Miranda: Released January 5th 2012.
G -
H -
I -
J -
K -
L -
M -
N -
O -
P -
Q -
R -
S - Switched by Amanda Hocking: Released January 5th 2012.
T - Tempest by Julie Cross: Released January 5th 2012.
U -
V -
W -
X -
Y -
Z -


To find out more about this challenge or to sign up click on the button below!

Classic Double Challenge 2012.

The fourth challenge that I will be participating in this year is the Classic Double Challenge!

The Classic Double Challenge will encourage you to read one older book (classic) and a newer book that relates to the older one in some way.

The levels are as follows:  Small [2 related books]; Medium [4 books, 2 sets of related books]; Large [6 books, 3 sets of related books]; Super Size [8 books, 4 sets of related books].

The level I have chosen is in bold but this may change.

The books I am considering for this challenge are:

- Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen & Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

- Emma by Jane Austen & The Espressologist by Kristina Springer

- Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte & A Breath of Eyre by Eve Marie Mont

To find out more about this challenge and to sign up click on the button below!

Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge 2012.

The third challenge I will be participating in this year is the Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge!

The books that count towards this challenge are any full length book that includes a witch as a main character or major witchcraft elements.

The levels are as follows: [1] 1-5: Initiate; [2] 6-10: Maiden; [3] 11-15: Mother; [4] 16-20: Crone.

I have chosen the level in bold (again with the rules you can move up levels but not move down, so I'd rather start low).

I will be updating this post with the books that I read as the year goes on:

[1] A Witch in Winter by Ruth Warburton

To find out more about this challenge and to sign up click on the button below!

TBR Pile Reading Challenge 2012.

I decided that one challenge wasn't enough and that I wanted to do more, although I'll only do challenges that I think I am capable of completing.  This doesn't necessarily mean I will complete the challenge but I'll try my best!

The second challenge that I will participating in this year will be the TBR Pile Reading Challenge is hosted by the following blogs: Bookish; All I Ever Read; Hands and Home; Book Passion for Life; WatchYA Reading; Mission to Read; Books, Biscuits & Tea; Hooked on Books; Fans of Fiction; Mermaids Vision.

The books you read for this challenge can be any genre, length or format, as long as it is a book that's been sitting on your shelf for some time now. Only books released in 2011 and earlier! NO ARCs and 2012 fresh-off-the-press releases allowed!

The levels are as follows: [1] 1-10: A Firm Handshake, [2] 11-20: A Friendly Hug, [3] 21-30: A Sweet Kiss, [4] 31-40: Love at First Sight, [5] 41-50: Married with Children.

For now I have chosen level the level in bold (this is because the rules are that you can move up a level but not down, so I'd rather start at the bottom and work my way up!).  I will list the books I am going to read on my Challenges page. 

To find out more about the challenge click on the button below!



WWW Wednesday [1].

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Should Be Reading.  You share [1] What you’re currently reading, [2] What you recently finished reading, and [3] What you think you’ll read next. I will be answering these questions each week.

[1] The book I am currently reading is:

A Witch in Winter by Ruth Warburton
[My Review]
Buy this book: [Amazon UK]

 

[2] The book I just recently finished is:

Tempest by Julie Cross

[My Review]

Buy this book: [Amazon UK]

 

[3] The book I think I will read next is:

Switched by Amanda Hocking.

[My Review]
Buy this book: [Amazon UK]

'Waiting on' Wednesday [1].

'Waiting on' Wednesday [WoW] is a weekly meme hosted by The Breaking Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that the particular blogger is eagerly anticipating.  I will be doing the same each week.

My first WoW selection is:

Everneath by Brodi Ashton
Release Date: 2nd February 2012
Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Synopsis [Amazon UK]

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld...this time forever. She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists. Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen. As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's...

On the cover alone, wow.  I've seen this cover on quite a few other bloggers' websites now and everytime I can't help but be excited and as I said that's on the cover alone, it's gorgeous!

Upon reading the synopsis, I am further intrigued about what exactly this underworld named Everneath is all about! Luckily I don't have that long to wait until its release.

I would love to know what your 'waiting on wednesday' selection is this week...

Teaser Tuesday [1].

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Should Be Reading.  I will be doing the same each week using the page I have stopped on of the book that I am currently reading.

The book I am currently reading is:
A Witch in Winter by Ruth Warburton.

I am on page 64 and here's the teaser:

The whole business was obviously either a prank or some kind of mass hallucination - after a good night's sleep that much was obvious. I walked to school on Tuesday certain that Seth would have realised overnight what a tit he'd been - either that or there would be a massive sign at the school gates saying 'ANNA WINTERSON - YOU JUST GOT PUNK'D!'

Do you want to join in? 

Grab your current read.  Open to a random page.  Share two "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page.  Be careful not to include spoilers! Share the title & author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!

Tempest - Julie Cross.

Published: 5th January 2012

Format: Hardback
Publisher: MacMillan

Pages: 432

Buy this book: Amazon UK

Synopsis [Amazon UK]

Jackson Meyer is hiding a secret. He can time-travel. But he doesn't know how he does it, how to control it or what it means. When Jackson, and his girlfriend Holly, find themselves in fatal danger, Jackson panics and catapults himself two years into his past, further than he's ever managed before, and this time he can't find a way back to the future. All the rules of time-travel he's experienced so far have been broken and Jackson has no choice but to pretend to be his younger self whilst he figures out a solution. Jackson is tearing himself apart with guilt and frustration, wondering if Holly survived. He's also become the target of an unknown enemy force and it seems even his dad is lying to him. Jackson is racing against time to save the girl he loves, but to do that he must first discover the truth about his family and himself. And stay alive.

The cover...

I absolutely adore this cover.  I think it captures the relationship between Jackson and Holly perfectly.  It is also relevant to the main occurrence in the book too.

How did I find out about this book?

I bought this book for the Debut Author Challenge that I am participating in.

What is this book about?

This book is about a boy named Jackson who finds out that he can time travel when he turns eighteen.  He starts to test out his powers upon meeting a friend named Adam.  They come up with their own way of describing time travel with references towards baseball to make it easier for Jackson (therefore making it easier for the reader to understand too).  The book focuses on the relationships in which Jackson has with his girlfriend and his father and how these relationships react to the knowledge of Jackson's time travel abilities.

My opinion...

The fact that this book was of a male's point of view but written by a female was refreshing.  I liked how the author was still able to portray Jackson as the teenage boy that he should be whilst still adding that feminine touch.  I found that I couldn't wait to find out if Jackson was able to save Holly and find out what his father was up to. 

It seems like the characters in the book reacted positively towards Jackson's time travel and managed to believe him quite quickly (this is in reference to Holly, Adam and Jackson's twin sister Courtney).  I would like it if someone made a bit more of a fuss about it.  However, I can see why Jackson chose Adam and why he reacted in the way that he did due to his science-geeky ways and having already studied time travel.

The author uses italics perfectly to demonstrate what Jackson is thinking and how he is feeling about a particular situation, even if it is only one word.  I would use my favourite example here but I think it might spoil the book a little (if you want to check it out it's the last few lines of page 400).

I've only recently found out that this is the first book of a trilogy.  This makes me intrigued as it ended in a way that made you want to say to the author 'No you can't do that! What happens next?' and as I didn't realise it was a trilogy at the time I was even more shocked!  I would love if the ending of Book 1 was challenged in some way. 

I think this book was a great start to a trilogy and I can't wait to see where the author takes Jackson next.

If you enjoyed this book: what to read next...

Until Book 2 is released I suggest reading The Time Traveler's Wife.  It is another book full of the wonders of time travel and how it can make or break a relationship.

In My Mailbox [1]

‘In My Mailbox’ is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren in which she shows the books she has acquired in the previous week. I have decided to do the same every Monday.

The books I bought this week are:

Tempest by Julie Cross [Amazon UK] [My Review]

A Witch in Winter by Ruth Warburton [Amazon UK] [My Review]

Switched by Amada Hocking [Amazon UK]

Before I go to Sleep by SJ Watson [Amazon UK]

Dirty Game by Jessie Keane [Amazon UK]

You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me by Sarra Manning [Amazon UK]

I will update this post with links to my reviews for these books when I have posted them.

Debut Author Challenge 2012.

Since I'm starting to blog again, I thought that the best way to start would be to take up what I couldn't complete last year and that would be the Debut Author Challenge hosted by The Story Siren.

This year I'm going to try extremely hard to finish this challenge and have already ordered my first couple of books...

I will be updating this post with the books that I read as the year goes on:

[1] Tempest by Julie Cross
[2] A Witch in Winter by Ruth Warburton
[3] Switched by Amanda Hocking
[4] Fracture by Megan Miranda
[5] Everneath by Brodi Ashton
[6] The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg
[7]

To find out more about the Debut Author Challenge click 'here'.  To go straight to the sign up page click the button below!

Picking up where I left off...

The 'blogoversary' on the side of my blog says that it will have been a year since I started this blog in 14 days. 
Wow, where has the time gone? 
In that year I decided I wanted to start blogging and then I guess I just got busy and forgot all about it. 


This year, a new years' resolution of mine, if you want to call it that, is to pick up blogging again and actually keep it up this time...

I guess we'll see how that went this time next year!