REVIEW: The Square Root of Summer - Harriet Reuter Hapgood

Title: The Square Root of Summer
Author: Harriet Reuter Hapgood
Series: None
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
Source: Review Copy
Publication Date: 5th May 2016

My heart is a kaleidoscope, and when we kiss it makes my world unravel... Last summer, Gottie’s life fell apart. Her beloved grandfather Grey died and Jason left her – the boy to whom she lost her virginity (and her heart) – and he wouldn’t even hold her hand at the funeral! This summer, still reeling from twin heartbreaks, Gottie is lost and alone and burying herself in equations. Until, after five years absence, Thomas comes home: former boy next door. Former best friend. Former everything. And as life turns upside down again she starts to experience strange blips in time – back to last summer, back to what she should have seen then... During one long, hazy summer, Gottie navigates grief, world-stopping kisses and rips in the space-time continuum, as she tries to reconcile her first heartbreak with her last. The Square Root of Summer is an astounding and moving debut from Harriet Reuter Hapgood.

REVIEW: Underwater - Marisa Reichardt

Title: Underwater
Author: Marisa Reichardt
Series: None
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
Source: Review Copy
Publication Date: 7th April 2016

“Forgiving you will allow me to forgive myself.” Morgan didn’t mean to do anything wrong that day. Actually, she meant to do something right. But her kind act inadvertently played a role in a deadly tragedy. In order to move on, Morgan must learn to forgive—first someone who did something that might be unforgivable, and then herself. But Morgan can’t move on. She can’t even move beyond the front door of the apartment she shares with her mother and little brother. Morgan feels like she’s underwater, unable to surface. Unable to see her friends. Unable to go to school. When it seems Morgan can’t hold her breath any longer, a new boy moves in next door. Evan reminds her of the salty ocean air and the rush she used to get from swimming. He might be just what she needs to help her reconnect with the world outside. Underwater is a powerful, hopeful debut novel about redemption, recovery, and finding the strength it takes to face your past and move on.

REVIEW: The Winner's Crime - Marie Rutkoski

Title: The Winner's Crime
Author: Marie Rutkoski
Series: The Winner's Trilogy #2
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Source: Purchased
Publication Date: 12th March, 2015

Lady Kestrel's engagement to Valoria's crown prince calls for great celebration: balls and performances, fireworks and revelry. But to Kestrel it means a cage of her own making. Embedded in the imperial court as a spy, she lives and breathes deceit and cannot confide in the one person she really longs to trust ... While Arin fights to keep his country's freedom from the hands of his enemy, he suspects that Kestrel knows more than she shows. As Kestrel comes closer to uncovering a shocking secret, it might not be a dagger in the dark that cuts him open, but the truth. Lies will come undone, and Kestrel and Arin learn just how much their crimes will cost them in this second book in the breathtaking Winner's trilogy.  

REVIEW: Morning Star - Pierce Brown

Title: Morning Star
Author: Pierce Brown
Series: Red Rising #3
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Source: Review Copy and purchased
Publication Date: 8th January, 2016

Darrow would have lived in peace, but his enemies brought him war. The Gold overlords demanded his obedience, hanged his wife, and enslaved his people. But Darrow is determined to fight back. Risking everything to transform himself and breach Gold society, Darrow has battled to survive the cutthroat rivalries that breed Society's mightiest warriors, climbed the ranks, and waited patiently to unleash the revolution that will tear the hierarchy apart from within. Finally, the time has come. But devotion to honor and hunger for vengeance run deep on both sides. Darrow and his comrades-in-arms face powerful enemies without scruple or mercy. Among them are some Darrow once considered friends. To win, Darrow will need to inspire those shackled in darkness to break their chains, unmake the world their cruel masters have built, and claim a destiny too long denied - and too glorious to surrender.  

REVIEW: Golden Son - Pierce Brown

Title: Golden Son

Author: Pierce Brown
Series: Red Rising #2
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Source: Purchased
Publication Date: 8th January, 2015

'I'm still playing games. This is just the deadliest yet.'
Darrow is a rebel forged by tragedy. For years he and his fellow Reds worked the mines, toiling to make the surface of Mars inhabitable. They were, they believed, mankind's last hope. Until Darrow discovered that it was all a lie, and that the Red were nothing more than unwitting slaves to an elitist ruling class, the Golds, who had been living on Mars in luxury for generations.
In RED RISING, Darrow infiltrated Gold society, to fight in secret for a better future for his people. Now fully embedded amongst the Gold ruling class, Darrow continues his dangerous work to bring them down from within. It's a journey that will take him further than he's ever been before - but is Darrow truly willing to pay the price that rebellion demands?
Hic sunt leones.
A life-or-death tale of vengeance with an unforgettable hero at its heart, Golden Son guarantees Pierce Brown's continuing status as one of fiction's most exciting new voices.

 

BLOG TOUR: Dumplin' - Julie Murphy

Title: Dumplin'
Author: Julie Murphy
Series: None
Publisher: Harper 360
Source: Review Copy
Publication Date: 15th September, 2015

Self-proclaimed fat girl Willowdean Dickson (dubbed “Dumplin’” by her former beauty queen mom) has always been at home in her own skin. Her thoughts on having the ultimate bikini body? Put a bikini on your body. With her all-American beauty best friend, Ellen, by her side, things have always worked…until Will takes a job at Harpy’s, the local fast-food joint. There she meets Private School Bo, a hot former jock. Will isn’t surprised to find herself attracted to Bo. But she is surprised when he seems to like her back. Instead of finding new heights of self-assurance in her relationship with Bo, Will starts to doubt herself. So she sets out to take back her confidence by doing the most horrifying thing she can imagine: entering the Miss Clover City beauty pageant—along with several other unlikely candidates—to show the world that she deserves to be up there as much as any twiggy girl does. Along the way, she’ll shock the hell out of Clover City—and maybe herself most of all. With starry Texas nights, red candy suckers, Dolly Parton songs, and a wildly unforgettable heroine—Dumplin’ is guaranteed to steal your heart.

BLOG TOUR: Review The Silver Witch - Paula Brackston

Title: The Silver Witch
Author: Paula Brackston
Series: Shadow Chronicles #3
Publisher: Corsair, Little Brown Books
Source: Review Copy
Publication Date: 3rd December, 2015

My mind is like the willow; it flexes and springs. My heart is a knot of oak. Let them try to wound me. Let them try. One year after artist Tilda Forwells loses her husband, she is finally ready to move into the secluded Welsh cottage they were meant to be sharing together. In the valley below her mountain home is a mystical lake which inspires a strange energy in her. She starts to experience potent dreams, visions, presentiments which all lead her to Seren, the witch and shaman who legend has it lived on this lakeshore in Celtic times. As Tilda explores the lake's powers and her own, her connection to Seren grows stronger. And when she comes under grave threat, she must rely on Seren and this ancient magic to save her.

REVIEW: Beautiful Broken Things - Sara Barnard

Title: Beautiful Broken Things
Author: Sara Barnard
Series: None
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
Source: Review Copy
Publication Date: 21st January 2016

I was brave She was reckless We were trouble Best friends Caddy and Rosie are inseparable. Their differences have brought them closer, but as she turns sixteen Caddy begins to wish she could be a bit more like Rosie – confident, funny and interesting. Then Suzanne comes into their lives: beautiful, damaged, exciting and mysterious, and things get a whole lot more complicated. As Suzanne’s past is revealed and her present begins to unravel, Caddy begins to see how much fun a little trouble can be. But the course of both friendship and recovery is rougher than either girl realises, and Caddy is about to learn that downward spirals have a momentum of their own.

REVIEW: A Girl's Best Friend - Lindsey Kelk

Title: A Girl's Best Friend
Author: Lindsey Kelk
Series: A Girl #3
Publisher: Harper Collins
Source: Review Copy
Publication Date: 5th November, 2015

A festive treat from the author of the bestselling I HEART series First Tess was a girl with a plan. Then she was a girl with a dream. Now she’s a girl who’s come back to earth with a bump. When the opportunity arises to join her best friend, Amy, in New York for Christmas, Tess jumps at the chance. The only fly in ointment is that Nick, the man who broke her heart, lives there. And Charlie, the man she turned down, has just started talking to her again. And she has just four days to take a photo for a competition that could save her career. But aside from that, everything is going to be great: it’ll be the best Christmas ever. Won’t it?

BLOG TOUR: Guest Post - A Girl's Best Friend by Lindsey Kelk

Today I have the amazing Lindsey Kelk on my blog to talk about why she loves cats. Stay posted for my review of her latest novel A Girl's Best Friend.

Top Ten Reasons a Cat is a Girl’s Best Friend

Ever since I got my kittens, Belle and Anderson Cooper, back in May, I’ve become something of a nightmare. My phone is full of photos of them, my Facebook feed looks like a KiteKat commercial and I cannot tell you the number of times I’ve been late for something because one of them was being too adorable upon my person to leave the house. I’m a disgrace. But I digress. Everyone is super keen to tell the world how a dog is a man’s best friend but who’s standing up for the cats? Me, that’s who.

1. They have taken over the internet.
And I love the internet. No other animal has captured the heart of the information highway in quite the same way and for that, I applaud them.

2. They weed out undesirable suitors.
‘Oh, you have cats? Are you a crazy cat lady?’
‘No but you’re going home on your own, douchebag.’

BLOG TOUR + REVIEW: Ice Like Fire - Sara Raasch

Title: Ice Like Fire
Author: Sara Raasch
Series: Snow Like Ashes #2
Publisher: Harper Collins
Source: Review Copy
Publication Date: 13th October, 2015

It’s been three months since the Winterians were freed and Spring’s king, Angra, disappeared—thanks largely to the help of Cordell. Meira just wants her people to be safe. When Cordellan debt forces the Winterians to dig their mines for payment, they unearth something powerful and possibly dangerous: Primoria’s lost chasm of magic. Theron sees this find as an opportunity—with this much magic, the world can finally stand against threats like Angra. But Meira fears the danger the chasm poses—the last time the world had access to so much magic, it spawned the Decay. So when the king of Cordell orders the two on a mission across the kingdoms of Primoria to discover the chasm’s secrets, Meira plans to use the trip to garner support to keep the chasm shut and Winter safe—even if it means clashing with Theron. But can she do so without endangering the people she loves? Mather just wants to be free. The horrors inflicted on the Winterians hang fresh and raw in Januari—leaving Winter vulnerable to Cordell’s growing oppression. When Meira leaves to search for allies, he decides to take Winter’s security into his own hands. Can he rebuild his broken kingdom and protect them from new threats?

Snow Like Ashes was one of my favourite reads of 2015, so when I was given the chance to read the sequel I didn't hesitate to accept! Ice Like Fire was everything I hoped for and more in a sequel. This was such an action packed and exciting book. I found myself turning the pages eagerly to find out what was going to happen next. The world building and character development was so rich; this is a world that I can picture so clearly in my head. I love it.

I loved seeing how Meira coped with being Winter's Queen and Conduit. Her battle between being herself and being who Winter needs her to be is so emotional. I felt so engaged with her. As well as this, I loved reading from Mather's point of view and seeing how he was coping after having his entire world turned upside down. I am definitely Team Mather and can't wait to see how things pan out here.

So many exciting and mysterious events unfold in the pages of Ice Like Fire. I was gripped from the very first page. It's a book full of suspense, magic, love and betrayal and I cannot wait for book three. This is one of my all time favourite series' and if you haven't read it yet I don't know what you're waiting for!

REVIEW: Ruin and Rising - Leigh Bardugo

Title: Ruin and Rising
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Series: The Grisha #3
Publisher: Indigo
Source: Purchased
Publication Date: 1st September, 2015

The capital has fallen. The Darkling rules Ravka from his shadow throne. Now the nation's fate rests with a broken Sun Summoner, a disgraced tracker, and the shattered remnants of a once-great magical army. Deep in an ancient network of tunnels and caverns, a weakened Alina must submit to the dubious protection of the Apparat and the zealots who worship her as a Saint. Yet her plans lie elsewhere, with the hunt for the elusive firebird and the hope that an outlaw prince still survives. Alina will have to forge new alliances and put aside old rivalries as she and Mal race to find the last of Morozova's amplifiers. But as she begins to unravel the Darkling's secrets, she reveals a past that will forever alter her understanding of the bond they share and the power she wields. The firebird is the one thing that stands between Ravka and destruction—and claiming it could cost Alina the very future she’s fighting for.

Harry Potter #109

This is a meme hosted by me and the lovely Mimz at Lunar Rainbows :).The aim of this meme is to share with fellow bloggers a character, spell, chapter, object or quote from the books/ films/ J. K. Rowling herself or anything Potter related! I will be picking a topic within HP for us to focus on each week and then if anyone wants to take part feel free! All I ask is to link back here or to Mimz's blog :). There is now a full list of the topics to come in the Harry Potter section of my blog here.

REVIEW: Queen of Shadows - Sarah J. Maas

Title: Queen of Shadows
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series: Throne of Glass #4
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Source: Review Copy
Publication Date: 1st September, 2015

Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she's at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past . . . She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die just to see her again. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen's triumphant return. Celaena’s epic journey has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions across the globe. This fourth volume will hold readers rapt as Celaena’s story builds to a passionate, agonizing crescendo that might just shatter her world.

BLOG TOUR: The Girl in the Road - Monica Byrne

Title: The Girl in the Road
Author: Monica Byrne
Series: Nona
Publisher: Little Brown, UK
Publication Date: 1st January, 2014

Stunningly original and wildly inventive, The Girl in the Road melds the influences of Margaret Atwood, Neil Gaiman, and Erin Morgenstern for a dazzling debut. Meena, a young woman living in a futuristic Mumbai, wakes up with five snake bites on her chest. She doesn't know how or why, but she must flee India and return to Ethiopia, the place of her birth. Having long heard about The Trail -- an energy-harvesting bridge that spans the Arabian Sea -- she embarks on foot on this forbidden bridge, with its own subculture and rules. What awaits her in Ethiopia is unclear; she's hoping the journey will illuminate it for her. Mariama, a girl from a different time, is on a quest of her own. After witnessing her mother's rape, she joins up with a caravan of strangers heading across Saharan Africa. She meets Yemaya, a beautiful and enigmatic woman who becomes her protector and confidante. Yemaya tells Mariama of Ethiopia, where revolution is brewing and life will be better. Mariama hopes against hope that it offers much more than Yemaya ever promised. As one heads east and the other west, Meena and Mariama's fates will entwine in ways that are profoundly moving and shocking to the core. Vividly imagined and artfully told, written with stunning clarity and deep emotion, The Girl in the Road is a true tour de force.

Harry Potter #108

This is a meme hosted by me and the lovely Mimz at Lunar Rainbows :).The aim of this meme is to share with fellow bloggers a character, spell, chapter, object or quote from the books/ films/ J. K. Rowling herself or anything Potter related! I will be picking a topic within HP for us to focus on each week and then if anyone wants to take part feel free! All I ask is to link back here or to Mimz's blog :). There is now a full list of the topics to come in the Harry Potter section of my blog here.

September TBR 2015

Hey guys! Here's my September TBR - hope you enjoy :)

Harry Potter #107

This is a meme hosted by me and the lovely Mimz at Lunar Rainbows :).The aim of this meme is to share with fellow bloggers a character, spell, chapter, object or quote from the books/ films/ J. K. Rowling herself or anything Potter related! I will be picking a topic within HP for us to focus on each week and then if anyone wants to take part feel free! All I ask is to link back here or to Mimz's blog :). There is now a full list of the topics to come in the Harry Potter section of my blog here.

REVIEW: Hello, Goodbye and Everything In Between - Jennifer E. Smith

Title: Hello, Goodbye and Everything In Between
Author: Jennifer E. Smith
Series: None
Publisher: Headline
Source: Review Copy
Publication Date: 1st September, 2015

One night. A life-changing decision. And a list... Of course Clare made a list. She creates lists for everything. That's just how she is. But tonight is Clare and Aidan's last night before college and this list will decide their future, together or apart. It takes them on a rollercoaster ride through their past - from the first hello in science class to the first conversation at a pizza joint, their first kiss at the beach and their first dance in a darkened gymnasium - all the way up to tonight. A night of laughs, fresh hurts, last-minute kisses and an inevitable goodbye. But will it be goodbye forever or goodbye for now?

Harry Potter #106

This is a meme hosted by me and the lovely Mimz at Lunar Rainbows :).The aim of this meme is to share with fellow bloggers a character, spell, chapter, object or quote from the books/ films/ J. K. Rowling herself or anything Potter related! I will be picking a topic within HP for us to focus on each week and then if anyone wants to take part feel free! All I ask is to link back here or to Mimz's blog :). There is now a full list of the topics to come in the Harry Potter section of my blog here.