David - Mary Hoffman

David – Mary Hoffman

Pages: 252
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Release Date: 4th July 2011

Other Titles by this Author: City of Masks, City of Stars, City of Flowers, City of Secrets, City of Ships, The Falconer’s Knot, Troubadour

Florence, March 1501

The first thing I knew about life in the city was a knife at my throat and three ruffians at my back...

When Gabriele arrives in Florence and finds himself penniless and alone, he has only one ace up his sleeve...the name of a renowned sculptor and the hope of work. But never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that he would become the model for one of the world’s most famous statues, Michelangelo’s David. Or that he would be sucked into the deadly and dangerous world of Florentine politics, where battle, bloodshed and murder are commonplace.

Read on for a captivating tale of art and anarchy, passion and power from the bestselling author of the Stravaganza sequence.

Historical fiction is very hit-and-miss with me, but David was most definitely a hit. I loved it!

I’ve always been a lover of art and artists so the chance to find out about the (fictionalised) person behind Michelangelo’s David, which is one of the things I have to see before I die, was a chance I couldn’t pass up. The identity of Michelangelo’s model is one of arts mysteries that will likely never be solved and that only makes Gabriele’s story all the more appealing. But this was not the only one of art’s burning questions that were answered by Mary Hoffman; she also revealed who sat for Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa! This is a painting that also falls into the ‘have to see before I die’ category and so a semi-regular appearance of the man himself in David made me a very happy reader indeed.

Gabriele himself is a naive, quiet and unassuming young man when he arrives in Florence and is shocked by the attention his God-like appearance receives from both the men and women of the city. But this soon becomes his undoing as he gets himself heavily involved in the very complicated issue of Florentine politics. I have to admit that I knew nothing about the politics of Florence in the early 1500s and so I was often quite lost and it took me a long while to get to grasps with both sides of the troubles. But once I had this sorted in my mind, it became another enthralling facet of the story.

There is one aspect of this book that I didn’t like, however, how much it made me want to go to Italy! I mean, I’ve always wanted to go, but now that Florence is so perfectly evoked in my mind, I want to go more than ever! And even the sounds of the Italian that my mind created was beautiful, and gah I want to go!

Putting my inane ramblings about my love for Italy aside, I think that David has a huge crossover appeal. It doesn’t feel distinctly like a young adult novel, which as I’ve recently realised, puts a lot of adult readers off, and I know that just by mentioning the basic plot of David my mum instantly wanted to borrow it when I’d finished.

I loved David and it’s made me want to try some more of Mary Hoffman’s books even though I’ve been hesitant in the past.

Thanks to Bloomsbury for sending me a review copy.

For my British Books Challenge 2011 and 2011 YA Historical Fiction Challenge

Sophie

Blog Tour: Here Lies Bridget - Paige Harbison

Here Lies Bridget – Paige Harbison

Pages: 315
Publisher: Mira INK
Release Date: 17th June 2011

They say that before you die your life flashes before your eyes.

You think it’s going to be the good stuff – every kiss, every party.

Don't count on it.
I was Bridget Duke – the uncontested ruler of the school. If keeping wannabes in their place meant being a mean girl, then so be it!
I never thought there’d be a price to pay.

Until the accident.

Now, being trapped between life and death, I’m seeing my world in a new light: through the eyes of five people whose existence I’ve made hell.

And I’ve got one chance to make things right.
If I don't, I may never wake up again...

I have to admit that I was slightly wary of Here Lies Bridget due to its similarities to Before I Fall and The Five People You Meet in Heaven which I loved, but once I got used to Bridget I really enjoyed it.

And Bridget is definitely a character that you have to get used to. She is spoilt, nasty and hypocritical in all the worst possible ways. She’s the kind of girl that would have made my life hell, if she knew I even existed that is. And it’s because of this that I found it hard to feel anything for her. But without seeing Bridget in all her glory before diving into her limbo-esque day, it wouldn’t have packed the punch it did.

The turn from the girl she was in the beginning of the book to how we left her was startling. And yet Paige Harbison created this transition beautifully. There wasn’t an instantaneous ‘Oh my God, I’m a bitch!’ moment from her, it was a gradual realisation and build up of guilt for how Bridget acted that culminated in her trying to put right what she’d done. However, as much as I respected what she did in the end, I still really didn't like her and I applaud Paige Harbison for keeping me glued to a book whose heroine I felt nothing for. That really doesn’t happen very often for me as I’m a very character orientated reader.

I think a lot of my involvement in the story was seeing how far she was willing to go to keep her place as Queen Bee and then what she’d have to do to save her life. I was very impressed with how Bridget was put in the shoes of those she’d hurt. It was original and very clever.

I really enjoyed Here Lies Bridget and I look forward to reading more from Paige Harbison in the future.

For my 2011 Debut Author Challenge

Look out for an interview with Paige coming up soon!

Sophie

In My Mailbox 86

This meme was started by the fabulous Kristi who was inspired by Alea. Check out their blogs for more information. All summaries are from the book jackets.

For review:

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children – Ransom Riggs

A mysterious island.
An abandoned orphanage.
A strange collection of very peculiar photographs.

It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sees sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned hallways and bedrooms, it becomes clear that Miss Peregrine’s children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow – impossible though it may be – they may still be alive.

A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photographs, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.

Thanks, Quirk! Knowing that John Green had blurbed this made me want to read this before I even knew what it was about!

About a Girl – Joanne Horniman

I remember when we lay together for the first time and I closed my eyes and fet the crackle of her dark hair between my fingers. She was all warmth and sparking light. When I was with her, my skin sighed that the centre of the world was precisely here.

Anna is afraid she is unlovable – until she meets Flynn. Together, the girls swim, eat banana cake, laugh and love. Some days Flynn is unreachable; other days she’s at Anna’s door – but when Anna discovers Flynn’s secret, she wonders if she knows her at all.

Very curious about this one. Thanks, Frances Lincoln!

Pegasus – Robin McKinley

On her twelfth birthday Princess Sylviianel is ceremonially bound to her own Pegasus, Ebon.

For a thousand years humans and pegasi have lived peacefully in the beautiful green country beyond the wild lands. They rely on human magicians and pegasi shamans as their only means of real communication- but not Syli and Ebon...

They can understand each other.

But as their bond grows more powerful it becomes dangerous – could their friendship threaten to destroy the peace and safety of the two worlds?

Thank you, Puffin! I’ve wanted to read Robin McKinley for a very long time so I jumped at the chance to review her latest.

The Power of Six – Pittacus Lore

From Goodreads: I've seen him on the news. Followed the stories about what happened in Ohio. John Smith, out there, on the run. To the world, he's a mystery. But to me . . . he's one of us.

Nine of us came here, but sometimes I wonder if time has changed us—if we all still believe in our mission. How can I know? There are six of us left. We're hiding, blending in, avoiding contact with one another . . . but our Legacies are developing, and soon we'll be equipped to fight. Is John Number Four, and is his appearance the sign I've been waiting for? And what about Number Five and Six? Could one of them be the raven-haired girl with the stormy eyes from my dreams? The girl with powers that are beyond anything I could ever imagine? The girl who may be strong enough to bring the six of us together?

They caught Number One in Malaysia.
Number Two in England.
And Number Three in Kenya.
They tried to catch Number Four in Ohio—and failed.

I am Number Seven. One of six still alive.

And I'm ready to fight.

A surprise from Penguin. It says it’s an ARC, but it’s a hardback. Very confusing, huh? I actually didn't make it through I am Number Four so if anyone wants it, send me an email.

Gifted:

It was my birthday last week (the 15th) and my sister completed my Scott Westerfeld collection with these three. I was so excited about them that I forgot to put them in last week’s IMM, so here they are:

The Secret Hour – Scott Westerfeld

As the new girl at Bixby High School, Jessica Day expected some unwelcome attention. What she didn’t expect was to feel an instant connection to a stranger in the corridor...

Who is this boy dressed in black? And why can she feel his eyes following her wherever she goes?

The answers will have to wait until the sun goes down, for here in Bixby, midnight is the time for secrets; secrets that Jessica is going to find out, whether she want to or not.

Touching Darkness – Scott Westerfeld

Imagine falling for someone who can fly through the air. Imagine loving someone who can see your darkest thoughts. Imagine having secrets that could destroy the things you cherish...

Midnight in Bixby hides more than one secret, and uncovering them will put Jessica and her friends in more danger than they could have imagined.

The Midnighters aren’t the only ones seeking truth in the darkness. And if the group allow their own secrets to come between them they risk losing one of their own – forever.

Blue Noon – Scott Westerfeld

The secret hour is beginning to crumble...

The Midnighters look to Rex for a plan, but his dark side is threatening to overpower him. Melissa can taste his animal instincts leading him into taking greater and greater risks.

But as Bixby faces the darklings’ hunger, will it be Rex or another Midnighter who will make the final sacrifice to save the ones they love?

Sophie

Cover Reveal: Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

Like most Richelle Mead fans, I've been eagerly awaiting the first book in the Vampire Academy spin-off, Bloodlines, since turning the final page of Last Sacrifice. And now, we're very nearly there. And we have a cover!

Isn't it gorgeous?! I'm very excited for this book. It'll be published by Razorbill on August 23rd.

LOVE AND LOYALTY RUN DEEPER THAN BLOOD…

Sydney protects vampire secrets – and human lives. As an alchemist, she is part of a secret group who dabbles in magic and serves to bridge the world of humans and vampires.

But when Sydney is torn from her bed in the middle of the night, she fears she’s still being punished for her complicated alliance with dhampir Rose Hathaway. What unfolds is far worse. Jill Dragomir—the sister of Moroi Queen Lissa Dragomir—is in mortal danger, and goes into hiding. Now Sydney must act as Jill’s protector.

The last thing Sydney wants is to be accused of sympathising with vampires. And now she has to live with one . . .

Sophie

Truth & Dare - edited by Liz Miles

Truth & Dare – edited by Liz Miles

Pages: 367
Publisher: Running Press Teens
Release Date: 10th May 2011

Do you dare speak the truth?

The truth is, it’s not easy to be you. It’s sometimes as hard to be one of the flock as it is to be the one who stands alone. It sucks to lose the guy you love, and painful to go after the girl you have admired from afar. And it’s hard to admit that you are not always strong. The most difficult and freeing feat of all is daring to see the truth about yourself.

Unapologetic, raw, and sometimes unsettling, this is a collection of 20 voices from bestselling authors known for their honest courageous characters.

Truth & Dare is an anthology of stories from some of the biggest names in YA that made me laugh, stare blankly in shock and pulled at my heart strings. But as there were twenty of them, I’m going to highlight my three favourites.

Sarah Rees Brennan moves away from fantasy for what I think may be the first time in The Young Stalker’s Handbook. This story is pure fun and perhaps the funniest in the collection. Now, if you’ve been a teenage girl, you’ll have done some boy stalking (I hope, or I’m not going to sound great here!), but I bet it’s never been done like this before! Rachel and Sam’s methods, though far from normal, are undeniably effective...

Next we have an authors who always delivers a fun, heart-warming and beautifully written story: Luisa Plaja. Cool Cats and Melted Kisses is one of the more seemingly light-hearted stories of the collection, but underneath lies issues such as parents separating and bullying. But there not in your face, they are the subtle undertones that lie in most teens lives. And then on a less serious note, there’s the gorgeous Andy. He’s the kind of guy that causes jelloid knees and he was perfect for Ellie who I could easily read a whole novel about.

Finally, I want to flag up Jennifer Finley Boylan’s story. For me, Nude Descending a Staircase was the story that had the most effect on me. It’s deeply affecting, shocking and truly scary. I don't even want to give a brief summary of the story as I think that will ruin its impact, just read it. It’s a seriously powerful piece of storytelling.

Some others that I really enjoyed are Courtney Gillette’s Never Have I Ever, Headgear Girl by Heidi R. Kling and Sara Wilkinson’s Pencils.

Truth & Dare is an anthology that is essential reading for every teenager because everyone is going to find something in there for them.

A huge thank you to the awesome Luisa for sending me a copy to review.

Sophie

In My Mailbox 85

This meme was started by the fabulous Kristi who was inspired by Alea. Check out their blogs for more information. All summaries are from the book jackets.

For review:

Celebriteens: In the Spotlight – Joanna Philbin

They didn't ask for fame, they were born with it.

Lizzie Summers is used to living in her supermodel mother’s shadow. But after a photographer spots Lizzie’s unique look, she becomes the “It girl” of New York’s fashion scene.


Thanks, Scholastic.

David – Mary Hoffman

Florence, March 1501

The first thing I knew about life in the city was a knife at my throat and three ruffians at my back...

When Gabriele arrives in Florence and finds himself penniless and alone, he has only one ace up his sleeve...the name of a renowned sculptor and the hope of work. But never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that he would become the model for one of the world’s most famous statues, Michelangelo’s David. Or that he would be sucked into the deadly and dangerous world of Florentine politics, where battle, bloodshed and murder are commonplace.

Read on for a captivating tale of art and anarchy, passion and power from the bestselling author of the Stravaganza sequence.

Thanks, Bloomsbury! I’m very excited for this one.

Here Lies Bridget – Paige Harbison

They say that before you die your life flashes before your eyes.

You think it’s going to be the good stuff – every kiss, every party.

Don't count on it.

I was Bridget Duke – the uncontested ruler of the school. If keeping wannabes in their place meant being a mean girl, then so be it!
I never thought there’d be a price to pay.

Until the accident.

Now, being trapped between life and death, I’m seeing my world in a new light: through the eyes of five people whose existence I’ve made hell.

And I’ve got one chance to make things right.
If I don't, I may never wake up again...

Thanks, Midas PR/Mira INK. This sounds like a cross between Before I Die and The Five People You Meet in Heaven.

Edda – Conor Kostick

Welcome to Edda

Everyone in the universe of Edda is made of pixels – except for Penelope. While her body is kept alive in a hospital bed, her avatar runs free, able to go anywhere and do anything, including create deadly weapons for Edda’s ruler, her guardian Lord Scanthax.

When Scanthax decides to invade another virtual world, Erik/Cindella from Epic and Ghost from Saga become part of the story and war is unleashed throughout the virtual universes.

Can there be a peaceful solution?
Or must everyone come down to the sword and the gun?

This sounds a bit like Tron Legacy. Thanks, Frances Lincoln.

Exile – Rebecca Lim

An angel in exile, Mercy is doomed to return repeatedly to Earth, taking on a new human form each time she does. Now she “wakes” as unhappy teen Lela, a girl caring for her dying mother but never herself.

As her shattered memory begins to return, Mercy remembers Ryan, the boy she fell in love with in another life, and Luc, the angel haunting her dreams. Will Mercy risk Lela’s life to be reunited with her heart’s true desire?

An electric combination of angels, mystery and romance, Exile is the second book in the spellbinding Mercy series.

Thanks, HarperCollins! By the sounds of this, I need to get my hands on the first book!

Glee: Summer Break – Sophia Lowell

Calling all Gleeks! Spend summer vacation with uber-ambitious Rachel Berry, Cheerio extraordinaire Quinn Fabray, and dreamy Finn Hudson in the third completely original Glee novel. Packed with all the hilarity and drama that a true Glee fan demands, this summertime story follows the Glee Club members as they attempt to run a singing workshop for kids.

Thanks, Headline!

The Rogue’s Princess – Eve Edwards

London, England, 1586

Sixteen-year-old Mercy Hart is the daughter of one of London’s richest – and strictest – cloth merchants.

Kit Turner is an actor and the illegitimate son of the late Earl of Dorchester. A chance encounter finds Kit falling for the beautiful Mercy’s charms, but their love is forbidden. A merchant’s daughter and a vagabond – it simply cannot be.

If Mercy chooses Kit she must renounce her family name and leave her home. Will she favour duty over true love, or will she give Kit his heart’s desire?


SophieThank you, Razorbill! I love this series so I’m very excited to get stuck into this.But is fame all it’s cracked up to be?

Featured on Friday: Caroline Green

When the lovely people here invited me to write a guest post about my favourite YA books, I had two thoughts in quick succession:

‘Yippee! My favourite subject...I can’t wait to get started!’ and then, ‘Hang on, how can I possibly choose? Maybe they’ll let me write 10,000 words...?’
 

It’s fair to say that I absolutely love children’s and YA fiction. I love reading it, I love talking about it and I love writing it. My own first book for readers aged 10+, Dark Ride, was recently published by Piccadilly Press and I have another book for older readers coming out in 2012. I hoover up as many books as I can in these genre and the great thing is, I can pretend it’s all for research now [shhh].

So rather than boring you all to death with that 10,000 word post, I have decided to limit my ramblings to a handful of books that I’ve read and loved in recent times.

In no particular order...

The Opposite of Amber by Gillian Phillip
I’d never read anything by Gillian Phillip before but the quality of the writing and the gripping story here simply blew me away. Ruby and Jinn are teenage sisters who live in a beautifully described Scottish seaside town [I can’t resist past-their-heyday coastal resorts. A similar town features in Dark Ride]. They’re getting on just fine, more or less, until good-looking bad boy Nathan Baird turns up and turns Jinn’s world upside down. The result is a heartbreaking series of events with some very adult themes. A truly brilliant book.

The Foreshadowing by Marcus Sedgwick
I’m a huge fan of Sedgwick’s rich, dark tales. The Foreshadowing originally came out in 2005 but having his more recent novels, I recently started on his back catalogue. The era is World War One and seventeen-year-old Sasha Fox has a comfortable, albeit stifling life. When her adored older brothers are called up to fight, she realises she has a terrible gift; she can see the future, namely what will happen to her loved ones in the muddy fields of Flanders. She sets out to discover whether it’s ever possible to change the future.

One Dog and His Boy by Eva Ibbotson
This is a rare book that will truly appeal to all age groups. Hal is a lonely boy whose rich parents shower him in toys but very little of their time. All Hal wants in the world is a dog. His mum and dad hatch a horribly insensitive plan to hire one just for the weekend, but fail to tell Hal the pet isn’t for keeps. But Hal isn’t going to be put off that easily...

Sadly, Eva Ibbotson died recently and won’t get to see this book become the classic it’s destined to be.
 

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
As soon as I’d finished Uglies I gobbled up the sequel Pretties and then the one after that, Specials. I was utterly transported into the shiny-but-sinister future world Westerfeld has created. The premise of the book is that ‘Uglies’, ie normal warts-and-all people, can be transformed into ‘Pretties’ when they turn 16. Tally Youngblood [my favourite name after Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games] can’t wait to turn pretty but a series of events leads her to understand that the good looks come at a heavy price...

Okay so I’ve managed to stick to four [or, six including sequels]. Phew. But it wasn’t easy.

I listened to a podcast books discussion recently where someone said the best and most exciting books around were all YA these days. Although I do read and enjoy adult fiction too, it’s hard not to agree when there are so many fantastic stories out there aimed at young people.

Thanks, Caroline!

Sophie

What Happened to Goodbye - Sarah Dessen

What Happened to Goodbye – Sarah Dessen

Pages: 402
Publisher: Razorbill (Penguin)
Release Date: 2nd June 2011

Other Titles by this Author: That Summer, Someone Like You, Last Chance, Dreamland, This Lullaby, The Truth About Forever, Just Listen, Lock and Key, Along for the Ride

Mclean never lets herself get too attached...

After the scandal of her mother’s affair, Mclean and her dad chose life on the road. But since losing her family and home, Mclean lost herself too; she’s been Eliza, then Lizbet, then Beth – changing her name as often as she changes towns.

Until now. Her neighbour, Dave, is like no one she’s met before. It’s as if she’s always known him, and just like that, she becomes Maclean again. Is it finally time to stop reinventing? Or will Mclean turn her back on the new life she loves, without even saying goodbye...

Sarah Dessen always hits the spot with her real and heart-warming tales of a girl discovering who she is and what she really wants. What Happened to Goodbye was in no way an exception.

Having read Sarah Dessen’s blog for a very long time, I almost feel like I know her. And pretty well at that as they are often fairly personal and detail her life as it happens. Because of this I know of her love and undying support for the Chapel Hill basketball team so the importance of basketball made me smile as it was a piece of Sarah in What Happened to Goodbye. It was the same with the focus on restaurants as I know that Sarah worked as a waitress after university while she wrote and sold her first novel, That Summer. For me, these inclusions were priceless. To see my favourite author so fully and vibrantly in one of her novels makes it even better.

Another of my favourite author quirks is when characters from previous novels make cameos. There were actually a fair few in What Happened to Goodbye. We had Jason from my favourite Dessen novel, The Truth About Forever, working in Luna Blu; Heidi and her shop from Along for the Ride and the Last Chance Cafe from Last Chance/Keeping the Moon pop up in the novel. And each time one of her characters reappears I remember all of the many things that I loved about that novel.

But where Sarah Dessen really shines - often in a way that many other authors just can’t - is her characters and their relationships. As always, the cast of supporting characters are vibrantly and realistically drawn. The colourful Opal, intriguing Riley, Deb who’s full of surprises and a bit if a Dessen heroine in herself and her dad. I loved how Mclean reached out to Deb when no one else would because she knew exactly how it felt to be on the outside and how she looked after her dad in the aftermath of the divorce and her eventual friendships with Riley and the others. And then of course there is the new Dessen boy: Dave. He is very different to those we’ve had in the past. He’s super-clever, a little nerdy and pretty uncool in the grand scheme of things. But I loved him. And though he doesn’t quite top Wes (The Truth About Forever) or Dexter (This Lullaby), he gets a nice third in my list.

However, I think that the most important relationship in What Happened to Goodbye was definitely that between Mclean and her mother. I completely understand Mclean blaming her mother for destroying her family and hurting her dad. She had every right to not want to talk to her or spend time with her. But she couldn’t carry on like that. Your parent’s relationship, or its break down, has no bearing on their love for you. And this is what Mclean learned. Though it took arguments, harsh words and eventual heart-to-hearts, she got there in the end. And I love that this issue was tackled so beautifully, sensitively and realistically.

Sarah Dessen is my hero and I will wait with bated breath for her next masterpiece.

Sophie

Poetic Ponders (9)

Thanks to the lovely Sara Jay for this beautiful button.

During this year studying English Literature and Creative Writing, I’ve developed a new appreciation for poetry. With this in mind, I thought that I’d start a new weekly feature on So Many Books, So Little Time in which I share with you my favourite poems. They may be ones I discover on my course or ones I’ve loved for a long time.

Hopefully some of you will join me in sharing some awesome poems.

Love Is Not All – Edna St. Vincent Millay

Love is not all: it is not meat nor drink

Nor slumber nor a roof against the rain;

Nor yet a floating spar to men that sink

And rise and sink and rise and sink again;

Love can not fill the thickened lung with breath,

Nor clean the blood, nor set the fractured bone;

Yet many a man is making friends with death

Even as I speak, for lack of love alone.

It well may be that in a difficult hour,

Pinned down by pain and moaning for release,

Or nagged by want past resolution's power,

I might be driven to sell your love for peace,

Or trade the memory of this night for food.

It well may be. I do not think I would.

I discovered this poem in my favourite way: through a book. Gayle Forman’s Where She Went is introduced with the second half of this sonnet and I loved them so much that I had to look the whole thing up! It fits that book so perfectly, too.

Sophie

In My Mailbox 84

This meme was started by the fabulous Kristi who was inspired by Alea. Check out their blogs for more information. All summaries are from the book jackets.

My mum came up with my little sister to visit me in Bath and brought all of the packages that have amassed at home so I have quite a few this week! Here goes:

For review:
 

Trial by Fire – Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Bryn faces the dangers and joys of love and loyalty in this thrilling sequel to Raised by Wolves.

Bryn is now alpha of the Cedar Ridge Pack – although it’s not simple when you’re a human leading a band of werewolves. Then she finds a teenage boy on her porch. Before collapsing, he tells her his name is Lucas, he’s a Were, and Bryn’s protection is his only hope.

But Lucas is part of another alpha’s pack and Bryn has no right to claim him, as danger closes in, Bryn will have to accept that to be alpha, she will have to give into her animal instincts and become less human. And she’s going to have to do it alone.

Thanks, Quercus!
 

Mad Love – Suzanne Selfors

As the daughter of the bestselling Queen of Romance life for Alice Amorous should be pretty good. Except that she is covering for her mother – answering her fan mail, forging her signature and telling her publisher that all is well.

When Alice needs to deliver a new novel for her mother, or risk losing everything, help comes in the unlikely form of Errol, a strange guy who claims to be cupid. Alice’s problems are really only just getting started!

VERY excited for this. Thanks, Bloomsbury!

Everfound – Neal Shusterman

Your forever. Your choice.
 It’s time for the final battle to decide the fate of Everlost. Mary lies sleeping and her minions are preparing for her awakening by building an army of lost souls. But when she does wake, Mary decides that one soul at a time isn’t enough – it's time to save everyone – and the way to do it is by destroying the world. Mikey, Allie and Nick have one last chance to stop her and save Everlost. Otherwise they too may be lost forever...

Thanks, S&S!

Blood Red Road – Moira Young

I ain’t afeared of nuthin.

When Saba’s brother is stolen, red rage fills her soul.

She races across the cruel dustlands to find him.

Saba can trust no one. Even the boy who saves her life.

She must silence her heart to survive.

Blood will spill.

Thanks, Scholastic!

The Medusa Project: Double Cross – Sophie McKenzie

Fourteen years ago, scientist William Fox implanted four babies with the Medusa gene – a gene for psychic abilities. Fox’s experiment left a legacy: four teenagers – Nico, Ketty, Ed and Dylan – each with their own distinct and special skill.

Initially the four worked together as The Medusa Project – a secret, government-funded, crime-fighting force. But now their mentor has betrayed them and they are on the run.

As they travel, they discover the code for the Medusa gene may have been duplicated on the other side of the world. Could there be more Medusa teens out there?

Thanks, S&S!

Vampirates: Immortal War – Justin Somper

The final battle...

A bloody war is raging across the oceans, with the Pirate Federation and the Nocturnals allied against the renegade Vampirates led by Sidorio and a heavily pregnant Lady Lola.

Meanwhile, Connor and Grace tempest each have their own important roles to play – he as a pirate warrior at the heart of the battle, she as a powerful healer working with the war-wounded. As the twins face their greatest challenges yet, old allies and former foes return for the ultimate battle...

Thanks, S&S!

Tiger’s Curse – Colleen Houck

Passion. Fate. Loyalty.

Would you risk it all to change your destiny.

The last thing Kelsey Hayes thought she’d be doing this summer was trying to break a 300-year-old Indian curse. With a mysterious white tiger named Ren. Halfway around the world.

But that’s exactly what happened.

Face-to-face with dark forces, spell-binding magic, and mystical worlds where nothing is what it seems, Kelsey risks everything trying to piece together an ancient prophecy that could break the curse forever.

Tiger’s Curse is the exciting first volume in an epic fantasy-romance that will leave you breathless and yearning for more.

Thanks, Hodder!
 

Theodore Boone: The Abduction – John Grisham

Theodore Boone is back in a new adventure, and the stakes are higher than ever.

When his best friend, April, disappears from her bedroom in the middle of the night, no one, not even Theo Boone – who knows April better than anyone – has answers.

As fear ripples through his small hometown and the police hit dead ends, it’s up to Theo to use his legal knowledge and investigative skills to chase down the truth and save April.

Thanks, Hodder!

Bought:

Haunting Violet – Alyxandra Harvey (signed)

Violet Willoughby doesn’t believe in ghosts...but they believe in her.

Violet has spent years taking part in her mother’s elaborately faked séances, putting the rich and powerful in touch with the dead, and their success has brought them a life of luxury they could only have dreamed of and Violet the prospect of a society marriage.

The last thing Violet expected was to start seeing and hearing the dead for real. But now she is haunted day and night by the ghost of a drowned girl who won’t let her rest until her murderer is uncovered. Violet must use her talents to unravel to mystery surrounding the girl’s death – and quickly before the killer strikes again.

I bought this at the Alyxandra Harvey signing attending last week with the lovely Carly.

What Happened to Goodbye – Sarah Dessen

Mclean never lets herself get too attached...

After the scandal of her mother’s affair, Mclean and her dad chose life on the road. But since losing her family and home, Mclean lost herself too; she’s been Eliza, then Lizbet, then Beth – changing her name as often as she changes towns.

Until now. Her neighbour, Dave, is like no one she’s met before. It’s as if she’s always known him, and just like that, she becomes Maclean again. Is it finally time to stop reinventing? Or will Mcleanturn her back on the new life she loves, without even saying goodbye...

YAY!!!!!!!!!! Such a bad book to get when exams are approaching...

Sophie

Blog Tour: Devon vs. Chase (Raised by Wolves/Trial by Fire)

I'd like to welcome the lovely Jennifer Lynn Barnes to So Many Books, So Little Time to debate which of her boys is the one for you.

"I never imagined when I was writing the first Raised By Wolves book that there would be a Devon vs. Chase debate, at least as far as Bryn’s relationship with the boys was concerned—mainly because while the books do include romance, they’ve never been about the romantic relationships to me. The question in my mind has always been less about who Bryn will end up with and more about the person she’ll end up being, and I think my favorite things about both Devon and Chase are tied to the qualities they bring out in Bryn. In Trial By Fire, she’s in a very unique position. It’s basically a book about a girl trying to figure out what it means to be a leader in a very dangerous world, and I think Chase and Devon have very different understandings of what it means to be a leader—and very different views of who and what Bryn will become.

I think there’s a lot of questions to be asked here—and Bryn is certainly asking herself a lot of them by the end of the book—but at the same time, the Raised By Wolves series is very much so about family. The boys are both a part of Bryn's family, and neither one of them is asking her to choose. Of course, that doesn’t me that we can’t debate their merits…"
 
Who's your favourite? Let me know in the comments.
 
Sophie