10 Things No-one Tells You About Book Blogging

Saturday 15 December 2012

When I first started blogging I knew nothing about it but here are some things that may help new bloggers out there!

You Won't Always Have Something Nice To Say About A Book
When I first opened my blog up for business I did what most people would probably do and reviewed my favourite books. When I started reviewing every book I read I found something unsettling, I don't always love the books I read! When you are reading and not reviewing you don't notice as much but when you review a hated book all those bad feelings towards it come bubbling to the surface and spill onto the screen in the form of a rant. My first one being of Phantom by L.J. Smith.

You Will Go From Obsessed To Infatuated - Yes There's A Difference 
Two years ago I read quite a lot but not nearly as much as I do since I started this blog. I went from around 100 books in three years to 100 in one. Before I used to read books, now I devour them. You find when you read a lot you get faster at it, at most this year I've read three books in one day - this time last year that would be unimaginable.

You Will Suddenly Find Your Purse A Lot Emptier
Similar to the last point, when you start a book blog you will read a lot more - three times more in my case - and when you read more you buy more. Last year I didn't own a single book, my supply came from my library. But after a while I had read all the good books (it's a small library) so I had to look elsewhere. I borrowed them from my friend for a while since her supply seemed infinite but after a while I decided to get some of my own. Now it has got to the point that I can't leave Amazon without buying a book. I log on to buy an iPod charger, I come off with an iPod charger and five books on their way to me.

You Will Turn Into A Green-eyed Monster 
You know how it is, you log onto blogger and a list of the blogs you follow come up and I can almost guarantee that one of the top posts will be someone's 'Stacking The Shelves' or something of the like. You will then become curious and click the link only to find that person has somehow got hold of every book you have ever wanted (or that's what your irrational jealous brain tells you). You then proceed to press back as quickly as possible or leave a comment that goes something like "Well Jell, ur sooo lucky!!!" (Okay maybe I'm currently watching The Only Way Is Essex - horrible show by the way) when you're really thinking Life is unfair, why does she/he get that? Am I that bad a person??? If you go through this then there's only one solution... when you get something awesome rub it in everyone's faces and start the cycle again.

You Will Have Reading Slumps
Ah, the dreaded slump. You have work slumps of course but who would expect you could not feel like doing something you ordinarily love? I didn't. But there are many ways to get out of a reading slump, some that worked for me are:
- Rereading a book you loved.
- Reading very short books - don't attempt 400+ pages.
- Take a couple of days off from reading then you'll be eager to get back to it.

Authors Are Your Friends... But You Can't Accept All Books
I've heard so many people say they started their blogs for the free books but believe it or not but I had no idea bloggers could get free books. So imagine my surprise when I was emailed by an author asking me to review my book. I jumped at the chance without even reading the blurb. Lucky for me I enjoyed it but now I'm more careful about the books that I accept because there's some unwritten rule about giving self-published books bad reviews and I don't want to be the one to break it.

You Will Be Proud Of Your First Reviews But You'll Hate Them In A Year
I loved my first reviews, I felt totally professional  after writing it but reading back I actually cringe. I wrote barely anything, gave no book info and it just sounded so... unprofessional. I'm surprised authors wanted me to review their books looking at those reviews. I would delete them but then I'd have nothing to compare my latest too, in a year I may hate those too.

Progression Of My Reviews:
Don't ask about the gap, I'm ashamed enough about this review as it is 
This one wasn't all that long ago but it still wasn't perfect.
This is my latest review and the one I like best but as I said before, we'll see in a year...
People Wont Just Flock To Your Blog The Moment You Publish It
We all claim to know that you have to advertise your blog before anyone finds it but how many of us sit there refreshing the page ten minutes after first posting expecting followers? I would say quite a lot. If you want followers you have to market your blog. I don't have all that many followers currently because I just don't have the time (or money) to advertise constantly but when I set my mind to getting a certain amount of followers I WILL get them. My most successful follower spree got me around 40 in one night just by following others blogs. It's that easy. Other ways to get followers are buying ads (expensive), hosting giveaways and just hassling people till they follow you - not that I endorse this one of course.


It Is A Lot Of Hard Work
Most people who start a book blog probably begin by thinking something along the lines of, how hard can it be? Avid readers probably think they can write a review no problem but they don't always realise just how much work a blog can be. Some thing book blogs can include doing are: advertising, formatting  writing reviews, giving book information, sorting out giveaways, replying readers and making your blog the best it can be.

It Really Is Worth It
This point doesn't really fit the title since I'm sure most of you have been told it before but I had to put it out there. There is nothing I like more than people commenting and saying they like my post or authors saying they like my reviews so want their own reviewing. My favourites are when people say my review made them buy (or not buy) a book.

UPDATE:
It's been a while since I wrote this post now but everything I wrote still stands, I'm glad to say. My blog progression has been added to further though so I thought I'd update my most refined look yet:


Do you think my comments here are still relevant? Do you have more to add? Please let me know!

Confessions Of A Bookaholic Is A Year Old!

Monday 10 December 2012


A year! It seems like only yesterday when I went blog hopping and decided I wanted my own. I'd say that was quite a wise choice on my part. 'Confessions' has erased the boring days when surfing the internet is the only thing you can be bothered to do. Believe it or not sometimes I just didn't feel like reading! I have learnt a lot about book blogging that I didn't know before and I will share that with you later but first...

The Stats:
32725 Pageviews
314 Followers
225 Posts

Top Viewed Posts:
Clockwork Princess Teasers ~ 1189 Views
More Golden Lily News ~ 991 Views
Weekly Review Link Up (24/11/12 - 08/12/12) ~ 767 Views
Top Ten Of Worst Female Characters ~ 642 Views

Top Viewed Reviews:
Supernaturally By Kiersten White ~ 464 Views
The Future Of Us By Jay Asher ~ 189 Views
The Perks Of Being A Wallflower By Stephen Chbosky ~ 151 Views
The Forest Of Hands And Teeth by Carrie Jones ~ 145 Views
The Unbecoming Of Mara Dyer By Michelle Hodkin ~  126 Views

Top Referring Keywords:
Clockwork Princess Teasers ~ 226 Referrals 
The Golden Lily Spoilers ~ 107 Referrals 
Worst Female Characters ~ 52 Referrals 
Emily's Confessions Of A Bookaholic ~ 49 Referrals 

These keywords tell me three things. One, people can't resist a teaser. Two, people love rants. Three, I'm famous!

Top Referring Sites:
www.goodreads.com ~ 1179 Referrals
www.facebook.com  ~ 140 Referrals
http://michaelcargill.wordpress.com ~ 54 Referrals
http://asidefromwriting.wordpress.com ~ 52 Referrals

Goodreads was of course a given. Facebook was a suprise since I'm not even on it. Thank you to Michael Cargill and the lovely bloggers behind Aside From Writing for directing some of their traffic my way. I hope my blog does the same for you.

So those are my stats, look out for my next post about lessons you learn when you start a book blog!

Email me at: confessionsofabookaholic@LIVE.CO.UK

Grave Mercy By Robin LaFevers

Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin, #1)Series: His Fair Assassin #1
Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Fantasy
Release Date: April 3rd 2012
Source: Won From Oh, For The Love Of Books
Overall Rating: 5/5 Stars
Cover Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Synopsis: Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf? Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others. Ismae’s most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?

I won this book all the way back in April and I had always looked at it longingly but never been in the mood to read it because it was so thick. When I eventually started it I couldn't stop. I am a huge fan of historical fiction but I have never read such a good one. This tops every historical fiction book I've read, adult and young adult alike. The story follows Ismae who is taken into the convent of St. Mortain after fleeing an arranged marriage. There she trains to serve the convent's god, the god of Death, by becoming a handmaiden to death. In other words she's an assassin nun. When Ismae is given the most important assignment of her life she has to decide whether serving Death is really worth it when she becomes unsure of the convents intentions.

The characters I loved! I wasn't sure about Ismae at first but further into the book I saw everything I love in a heroine in her. She's independent, tough and feisty. She didn't dwell on her horrible past and get pulled into the pit of self-pity that many young adult heroines never escape from. She was totally pro-feminist and I can't help but give a point in her favor for that. Ah the main love interest, Duval. Like Ismae I wasn't sure about him at first. He seemed a bit obnoxious but further in I began to love him. His fierce determination to keep his sister, the Duchess, on the throne, his acceptance of Ismae's past. I just loved him!

The whole book was rich in description. The words flowed flawlessly and beautifully, the gorgeous imaginary and descriptions are one of the reasons that I love historical fiction so much. I enjoyed the fact that LaFevers stuck so closely to the historical background of the actual events. A lot of the events in the book actually did happen in real life and minus a few characters the book was very true to history. One way I know I love a historic book is when it influences me to look further into the time frame and events so evidently I loved this one. I was slightly disappointed to discover that the next book in the series follows a different character and wont continue Ismae and Duval's story but I'm positive that if it's anything like this one then I will love it. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy lavish description, beautiful writing and of course historical fiction.

My Favorite Quote 
“God's Teeth,' he says. 'I was only trying to wake you. You were crying out in your sleep.' '
I was not,' I say, then look from his neck to my knife. 
'When I tried to wake you, you stabbed me.' He sounds sore put out. and I cannot blame him.”

Email me at: confessionsofabookaholic@LIVE.CO.UK

My Soul To Take By Rachel Vincent

Saturday 8 December 2012

My Soul to Take (Soul Screamers, #1)Series: Soul Screamers #1
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Release Date: July 29th 2009
Source: Bought
Overall Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Cover Rating: 4.5/5 Stars 
Synopsis: She doesn't see dead people. She senses when someone near her is about to die. And when that happens, a force beyond her control compels her to scream bloody murder. Literally. Kaylee just wants to enjoy having caught the attention of the hottest guy in school. But a normal date is hard to come by when Nash seems to know more about her need to scream than she does. And when classmates start dropping dead for no apparent reason, only Kaylee knows who'll be next.

Usually I read an authors young adult series before trying their adult ones but for this one it was the other way around. I absolutely love Vincent's Shifter series so I was eager to get into this one. This author is full of firsts for me, I usually much prefer young adult to adult books but I found that I didn't like this book as much as her others. The story follows Kaylee has the ability to sense when people are about to die but it's not one of those cool powers where she could act like a hero and swoop in to save the person. No she can do nothing but scream. Kaylee has tried to cover this up all her life and is doing an okay job of it until girls start dropping dead for no reason and the 'hottest guy in school' creepily knows more about her than she does herself.

I found the characters entertaining but quite two-dimensional at times. Kaylee, our heroine, started off okay but I just found her a bit boring. I am hoping we get to know her more in the next book though because she doesn't seem all that bad. Nash the guy whose description I put in inverted comma's earlier was the same, he started well and seemed to live up to the description but then we met someone else (who I'm guessing will probably be a future love interest - of Kaylee not Nash, just to verify) who overshadowed him. Todd, he is a Reaper. I'm sure you're all thinking, "How can you like a grim reaper? They're all black hoods, non-visible faces and Scythe's" but no. In this book Grim Reapers are normal people who take souls - the title makes sense now right? - and can turn invisible. His personality was way more interesting than Nash's plus he has a less weird name.

The story was very original but seemed to fall flat part of the way through. That being said, I still really enjoyed the book and will be investing in the rest - even if it's just to see more of Todd. I did find the Banshee element of the book quite interesting because it is not often you find a book about them and I have always found them very interesting.  This book was quite fluffy but had too sharp an edge to describe it as a light read. I would recommend this to people who want an original look on the myth of Banshee's and Grim Reaper's.

My Favorite Quote:

“His name's Nash." 
Aunt Val took a butter knife from the silverware drawer. "What year is he?" 
I groaned inwardly. "Senior." ...here we go ... 
Her smile was a little too enthusiastic. "Well that's wonderful!" Of course, what she really meant was "Rise from the shadows, social leper, and walk in the bright light of acceptance!”

 Email me at: confessionsofabookaholic@LIVE.CO.UK

Weekly Review Link Up (09/12/12 - 15/12/12)

Last weeks linky was a huge success so here's this week's.
Feel free to spread the word since the more people who link up, the more people that are likely to read you're reviews. You don't need to follow me in order to link up but I would love you too since ultimately this is something to get everyone more followers and comments. I will post a new linky every Saturday which will become active at 12am on Sunday and remain active for a week.
Please read the guidelines before linking.

Guidelines for linking up: 
ONLY link to book reviews, no interviews, guest posts etc.
ONLY link reviews published this week - 09/12/12 - 15/12/12
ENSURE the link goes directly to your review NOT your blog, example:
Incorrect: http://emily-confessionsofabookaholic.blogspot.co.uk/
Correct: http://emily-confessionsofabookaholic.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/legend-by-marie-lu.html
(I noticed a lot of people linked straight to their blogs last week and I'm not going to delete the links since it was the first week but this time please make sure to do it right)
ENTER the name and author of the book as well as your blog name, example:
Confessions Of A Bookaholic - City Of Bones By Cassandra Clare 
DON'T put your links in the comments, only the linky please!





Happy linking!
Email me at: confessionsofabookaholic@LIVE.CO.UK

Legend By Marie Lu

Sunday 2 December 2012

Legend (Legend, #1)Series: Legend #1
Genre: Young Adult, Dystopia, Romance
Release Date: November 29th 2011
Source: Bought
Overall Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Cover Rating: 3/5 Stars
Synopsis: What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic’s wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic’s highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country’s most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem. From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths—until the day June’s brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family’s survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias’s death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

I wasn't sure whether I would like this book. I had read very mixed reviews but eventually I decided to give it a go. I'm glad I did. Legend was quite a thin book but it managed to pack a lot in there. The dystopian world that it was set in wasn't particularly original but Marie Lu managed to craft it into something that I didn't recognize. It was very much politically orientated like most dystopia's but there wasn't one dull moment. Personally I think dystopian novels are a great way of getting teenagers into politics. The story follows June and Day. Day fights everyday just to survive and not be caught by the authorities. June lives a life of luxury and is the prodigy of her republic. Both of their lives become hopelessly entangled when June's brother is murdered and Day, being the most wanted person in the republic, is the main suspect. June goes hunting for him but when they meet, neither knowing who the other one is, the spark is undeniable.

At last, a book where I love both the hero and the heroine! As the book is told in alternating points of view, I got to know them pretty well. June was a great heroine, she was badass, could fight and wasn't afraid to speak her mind. I mean the girl when hunting her brother's murderer alone so of course she's tough. Day was amazing! He put himself in danger regularly to get his family supplies, he takes care of an orphaned girl and he's wanted by the government, what's cooler than that? I loved the chemistry between June and Day. They are at completely different ends of the social spectrum but at the same time they are so similar.

Overall, I loved this book. It kept me on the edge of my seat and I couldn't predict anything that happened. She managed to create an exciting plot, an amazing story world and likable characters. If that isn't talent I don't know what is. I would recommend this book to those who enjoyed Divergent or are fans of dystopia. Actually I'd even recommend it to those who don't usually enjoy dystopia, it's that good.

My Favorite Quote:

“Each day means a new twenty-four hours. Each day means everything's possible again. You live in the moment, you die in the moment, you take it all one day at a time. You try to walk in the light."

“I don't know if anyone's ever told you this", he begins. He doesn't blush, and his eyes don't dart away. Instead I find myself starring into a pair of oceans - one perfect, the other blemished by that tiny ripple. "You're very attractive." 
I've been complimented on my appearance before. But never in his tone of voice. Of all the things he's said, I don't know why this catches me off guard. 
But it startles me so much that without thinking I blurt out, "I could say the same about you." I pause. "In case you didn't know." 
A slow grin spreads across his face. "Oh, trust me. I know.”

“My mother used to hope that I would rise up from my humble roots. Become someone successful  or even famous. I'm famous all right, but I don't think it's what she had in mind.”

Email me at: confessionsofabookaholic@LIVE.CO.UK

Weekly Review Link Up (24/11/12 - 08/12/12)

Saturday 1 December 2012

I have noticed around the blogosphere that it is very difficult to get people to read your reviews, so I have decided to do a weekly link up so that everyone can share their reviews. Feel free to spread the word since the more people who link up, the more people that are likely to read you're reviews. You don't need to follow me in order to link up but I would love you too since ultimately this is something to get everyone more followers and comments. I will post a new linky every Saturday.

Guidelines for linking up:
ONLY link to book reviews, no interviews, guest posts etc.
ONLY link reviews published this week (since this is the first week I will allow you to post reviews published between the 24th of November and the 8th of December
ENSURE the link goes directly to your review NOT your blog
ENTER the name and author of the book as well as your blog name





Email me at: confessionsofabookaholic@LIVE.CO.UK

Numbers By Rachel Ward

Numbers (Numbers, #1)Series: Numbers #1
Genre: Young Adult, Romance
Release Date: November 8th 2008
Source: Bought
Overall Rating: 1.5/5 Stars
Cover Rating: 2/5 Stars
Synopsis: Since her mother’s death, fifteen-year-old Jem has kept a secret. When her eyes meet someone else’s, a number pops into her head - the date on which they will die. Knowing that nothing lasts forever, Jem avoids relationships, but when she meets a boy called Spider, and they plan a day out together, her life takes a new twist and turn. Waiting for the London Eye, she sees everyone in the queue has the same number - something terrible is going to happen.

I did not like this book. I had reasonably high expectations since the premise sounded quite interesting but I actually found that the synopsis is very misleading. I fully expected the story to revolve around the London Eye tragedy that Jem knew was going to happen. I thought she'd do something to try and save the people there but I was very wrong. In fact, the only reason why the London Eye is mentioned is because she runs away from it, is spotted suspiciously running away and then goes on the run because running is apparently now illegal in Britain. Sure I understand why it might seem suspicious but it would've been explained away so easily! For example "I was late for a meeting," or "there was an emergency at home," but no, she goes on the run because they are of course going to blame a fifteen year old for a bomb attack because she happened to be running at the time.

One thing I found totally unbelievable was that people were recognizing them while they were on the run from a description that could fit anyone and a blurry CCTV camera.
This is the incriminating description:
“London is reeling after a massive blast ripped apart the London Eye…seven dead and many more injured…police are looking for two youths: one black and very tall, the other shorter and slightly built.”
That could be anyone but somehow everyone recognizes them.
Another thing that annoyed me about this book was how racist Britain was made to look. Sure there are some racist people here, like everywhere, but this book exaggerated it enormously. Spider was given dirty looks by everyone and automatically blamed for anything that happened, because he was black. I know it happens sometimes but they traveled halfway across Britain and it happened everywhere, I'm not sure that's accurate.

Ugh. I hated both characters. Jem was annoying, her cold behavior seemed way too forced and she was much to stereotypical. Spider was the same but male, their relationship was much too 'insta love out of necessity' for my liking. Jem's big gift seemed awesome at first but then it was boring. The gift seems more like a catalyst put there to begin the story nothing more. Spider's bad boy persona and actions was the same, just something to fill the pages and add substance to an otherwise flat story.

I really did dislike this book and I'm beginning to be put off the publisher, 'The Chicken House'. I never judge a book by it's publisher except this particular one. Of the five books I've read from this publisher I've hated all but one and that, in my opinion, is not good statistics. I may steer clear of it for a while. I would reccomend this book to people who don't mind huge plot holes and prefer fluff to substance. I can say for certain I will not be reading the next book, it's called Numbers 2 for goodness sake!

My Favorite Quote:
“My best day ever. Got up. Had breakfast. Came to school. Bored, as usual. Wishing I wasn't there, like usual."

Email me at: confessionsofabookaholic@LIVE.CO.UK

Anna Dressed In Blood By Kendare Blake

Sunday 25 November 2012

Anna Dressed in Blood (Anna, #1)

Series: Anna #1
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal Romance, Horror
Release Date: August 30th 2011
Source: Bought
Overall Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Cover Rating:3.5/5 Stars
Synopsis: Just your average boy-meets-girl, girl-kills-people story... 
Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead. So did his father before him, until his gruesome murder by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father’s mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay. When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn’t expect anything outside of the ordinary: move, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he’s never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, but now stained red and dripping blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home. And she, for whatever reason, spares his life.

I had seen this book around quite a lot but I didn't think it looked all that good, I was very wrong. It was perfectly creepy and highly intriguing. The whole story centers around Cas, after his father was killed while on a job Cas took over the profession. As a ghost hunter. When Cas gets a tip about a ghost nicknamed 'Anna Dressed In Blood' he and his witchy mother move to the town she torments. Cas believes that is's just going to be a quick job but he soon discovers Anna is unlike any ghost he has faced. Without fail Anna has killed every person who has come into her home. All except Cas.

Cas, the main character, really was one of the best male narrators that I've come across. I haven't come across many books from the male point of view but when I do I like them instantly or not at all. Luckily for Cas it was instant. I loved how he could put on an act to get everyone to like him for his job but when it came to having real friends he was clueless. Normally in Young Adult books the Hero/Heroine already has a tight group of friends or one that materializes out of nowhere. What was different about this one was that the friendships became more realistic. For example the amount of times Cas tried to get rid of Thomas was ridiculous but the boy kept bouncing back and eventually they became friends (after a few near death experiences since there's nothing that brings friends closer than saving each others lives). Although this doesn't seem like the best way to make friends but I can almost guarantee it's happened to most of us. Thomas was very likable, very awkward and very sweet, which I would say is a good combination. The other part of the trio was Carmel. When you first meet her she seems like your average queen bee but as the story progresses you see she is actually nothing like the mean girl we all have bad memories about. Finally there is Anna, she is one of the most awesome ghost's I've read about. I really enjoyed learning about her background and why she is the way she is. At times her personality was so real I found myself forgetting that she was a ghost.

This book really was stunning. At times it became very creepy but instead of lowering my enjoyment it increased it. I loved the storyline and couldn't predict the twists and turns which is rare for me. The concept is genius and  being the only YA ghost story I've read it has given me very high expectations for any I may come across in the future. I would recommend it to those who are looking for a unique new young adult book to sink their teeth into.

My Favorite Quotes:
“She’s like Bruce Lee, the Hulk and Neo from The Matrix all rolled in to one.”

“Land of the Dead? Is that what you dream about?” she asks. “Boy who kills ghosts for a living?” “No. I dream about penguins doing bridge construction. Don’t ask why.”

“… you’ll need some help getting acquainted. I’m Carmel Jones.” 
“Theseus Cassio Lowood. What kind of a parent names their kid Carmel?” 
She laughs. “What kind of a parent names their kid Theseus Cassio?” 
“Hippies,” I reply. 
“Exactly.”

Email me at: confessionsofabookaholic@LIVE.CO.U

Prophecy Of The Setting Sunrise By Diantha Jones

Saturday 17 November 2012

Prophecy of the Setting SunriseSeries: The Oracle Of Delphi #2
Genre: Young Adult, Greek Mythology, Romance
Release Date: November 12th 2012
Source: Review Copy From Author
Cover Rating: 4/5 Stars
Overall Rating: 4/5 Stars
Synopsis: It’s official. Myth is doomed. And it’s all Chloe Clever’s fault. Still as whacked out as ever, Chloe is now faced with an even uglier truth: Not only is she the Pythia of the Great Unknown, but she is more powerful than she ever imagined and only the manifestations of her prophetic mind can save them all now. With her Prince boyfriend, Strafford, and the Quad Fraternity always armed and ready to annihilate the opposition, she will embark on a mission to stop a great power that could consume every god in Myth...and everyone else she’s come to love. But the worst is still to come. Dark, painful secrets are revealed, threatening to tear Strafford from her arms, and just when she thinks the future could not look more grim, she is betrayed in the worst way. With the heavens crumbling down around her, she must hurry to find a way to set things right. But will she be in time to save the one she loves most in the world from a fate that may be more dangerous than her own?

I had high hopes for this book because I had really enjoyed the first and it lived right up to them. I think it may have been better than the first. What made me love this series in the first place was the rich world building detail and the charismatic characters and this book had all that and more. The book starts where the first left off, I was a little confused at first but after flicking through the last chapter of the first book I remembered what was happening. Chloe has accepted that she is the Oracle Of Delphi, Pythia, and she must use the prophecies that come with it to figure out how to save myth and her little brother before it is all destroyed. Luckily for Chloe she has her (awesome) group to help her out. Their strength and loyalty plus her prophecies may just be enough to succeed on her mission.

As I said before, the characters are one of the main things I love about these books. Chloe was my least favorite in the last book and she still is but I liked her a bit more than before. When she fully embraced being the Oracle and headed out to find her brother I began to respect her character more and who knows I might like her even more in the next book. I of course still love Stafford but I have to say my heart still belongs to Ace, he's such a sweetheart that I can't help loving him. When I finally get around to writing my top ten favorite characters list again he will most definitely be on it. I liked the twins Hector and Theseus and I am intrigued by Swindle's story and can't wait to learn more about him. Something I loved was meeting more of the gods and goddesses, I love Greek mythology so thoroughly appreciated that.

Overall this book is one that has me eager for the next. The lavish detail is what pulled me into the book but it is the characters that kept me captivated until the very end. If a book has horrible characters or little to no detail there is a huge chance I will hate it but this ticks both boxes on my vital list. Prophecy Of The Setting sunrise kept me up till 2am but I do not regret the lack of sleep and that's saying something. I would recommend this to those who enjoy greek mythology or are maybe just looking for a good story.

My Favorite Quotes: 
“I found something, jukkas,” he said,opening up a book onto the table. 
“I really wish you’d stop callin’ us bloody idiots,” Ace said, stuffing lo mein into his mouth. 
“Is that what jukkas means?” she asked and Ace nodded. “Rude, Swindle.” 
The demigod laughed. “I always mean it in the nicest possible way. Now hush up and listen. Jukkas.” 

"And speaking of, why didn’t you jump in sooner, Ace? You knew it was Smurfey!” The demigod grinned, handing her a bag of herbs for the bruises that were sure enough forming all over her face. She snatched it from him. 
“Why would I break up a perfectly good cat fight when the odds were so evenly matched?”
---
The herbs obviously hadn’t kicked in all the way yet. “Smurfey happened to my face.” “Smurfey?” 
She pointed and when he saw her friend climb out of the truck looking just as roughed up, he smiled. 
“Ah. Cat fight.” 
“You and Ace are sexist pigs.” 
“Don’t you mean sexy pigs…”

Email me at: confessionsofabookaholic@LIVE.CO.UK

Blog Tour Stop: Oracle Of Delphi Series By Diantha Jones

Hello and welcome to my stop on The Oracle Of Delphi's blog tour. The tour is to celebrate the release of Diantha Jones' new book, The Prophecy Of The Setting Sunrise, the second book in the Oracle Of Delphi series.

There is a lot going on at my stop. I have a review of the latest book (though I don't advise reading that unless you've read the first since the last thing I want to do is spoil it for you), I have a video interview with the series' author, a cover reveal and of course the giveaway that is advertised on the button to the right. So much to pack into one post so I will be posting the review separately. The giveaways will be last since they are so long.

So lets begin with an introduction to the series so far:

Prophecy of the Most Beautiful

Series: The Oracle Of Delphi #1
Genre: Young Adult, Greek Mythology, Romance
Release Date: March 1st 2012
Synopsis: Constant hallucinations and the frequent conversations with the voices in her head, have earned eighteen-year-old Chloe Clever the not-so-coveted title of "Whack Job" in her home town of Adel, Georgia. After living through an attack from her worst nightmare, she awakens to find herself far from home, surrounded by glorious riches and servants…and a few demigods who enjoy killing things. Upon learning that her favorite rockstar is an Olympian god, she is thrust into her new life as the Oracle of Delphi, the prophesier of the future, and the great Pythia that the gods have been anxiously awaiting to arrive for centuries. Setting out to fulfill the prophecy she has been given and to keep her family safe from a demigod Princess that wants her dead, Chloe learns of how great she is to become, all the while fighting mythical monsters, evading divine assassins and trying to outwit the ever-cunning Greek gods who harbor secrets of their own. In the hopes of discovering the Most Beautiful and the truth of her destiny, she strives to uncover the mysteries of the demigod Prince who has sworn to protect her with his life…and threatens to win her heart in the process.

Prophecy of the Setting Sunrise
Series: The Oracle Of Delphi #2
Genre: Young Adult, Greek Mythology, Romance
Release Date: November 12th 2012
Synopsis: (May contain spoilers if you haven't read the first.
 It’s official. Myth is doomed. 
And it’s all Chloe Clever’s fault. Still as whacked out as ever, Chloe is now faced with an even uglier truth: Not only is she the Pythia of the Great Unknown, but she is more powerful than she ever imagined and only the manifestations of her prophetic mind can save them all now. With her Prince boyfriend, Strafford, and the Quad Fraternity always armed and ready to annihilate the opposition, she will embark on a mission to stop a great power that could consume every god in Myth...and everyone else she’s come to love. But the worst is still to come. Dark, painful secrets are revealed, threatening to tear Strafford from her arms, and just when she thinks the future could not look more grim, she is betrayed in the worst way. With the heavens crumbling down around her, she must hurry to find a way to set things right. But will she be in time to save the one she loves most in the world from a fate that may be more dangerous than her own?

And coming soon...
Cover Created by Colin F. Barnes
Series: Mythos: Stories from Olympus #1
Genre: Young Adult, Greek Mythology, Romance
Release Date: April 23rd 2013
Teaser: Before he was the guardian of the Oracle... 
Before he fell in love with Chloe... 
Before he was the disgraced Prince... 
He was Solar, Prince of the Sun. 

Now for my very first video interview and I must say I don't think it will be my last, it was very entertaining.


Like the look of them? Enter the giveaway below for a chance to win one of three sets of the first two books in the series.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

There's also a giveaway to win a $25 giftcard:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
For this one no giving away the answer in the comments please, if you do your comment will be deleted.

About The Author: 
View DianthaJonesBooks.jpg in slide showDiantha Jones was born the day thousands of turkeys sacrificed their lives to fill millions of American bellies on November 22 which also happened to be Thanksgiving Day (Her mother says she owes her a turkey). She is a Journalism graduate who wants to be a career novelist (of books, not Facebook posts). When not writing or working, she is reading on her Nook or playing the most ridiculous app games on her iPhone.


I grabbed the bio from her Goodreads Page.
Visit her author site and her book blog.

For a full list of blogs participating click here.

Email me at: confessionsofabookaholic@LIVE.CO.UK

Blue Bloods By Melissa de la Cruz

Sunday 4 November 2012

Blue Bloods (Blue Bloods, #1)Series: Blue Bloods #1
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
Release Date: April 25th 2006
Source: Bought
Overall Rating: 1.5/5 Stars
Cover Rating: 2/5 Stars
Synopsis: They're Young, Fabulous and Fanged. . . 
And they rule Manhattan from the trendy uptown clubs to the downtown boutiques. Fifteen-year-old Schuyler Van Alen has never quite fit in at her exclusive prep school - she's more of a vintage than a Versace girl - but all that's about to change. . . 
Because Schuyler has just found out she's a Blue Blood. The Blue Bloods are the city's glamorous - and secret - vampire elite. They're young, beautiful and powerful. But now they're being murdered. And Schuyler must find out who - or what - is behind it before she's next.

I really didn't like this book. I really didn't expect to like this book. I really wish I hadn't bought the next three in the series. Okay now all those really's are out of the way, more about this monstrosity of a book. This is the lowest rating I have given a book on this blog and here's why it got it. The entire plot was unbelievable and it wasn't all that enjoyable. Other books that I have given low ratings, like Undead by Kirsty McKay and Destined by P.C Cast all got 2 stars - these were originally my lowest rated books. What kept these from getting this low a rating was the fact that they were somewhat enjoyable. Blue Bloods however was not. The book follows Schuyler (Pronounced Skyler to save you the hassle of trying to work it out like I did) Van Alen, she's a loner and doesn't fit in at school (flash back to Twilight anyone?). When Schuyler finds out that she is a Blue Blood vampire everything begins to make sense, the blue veins that appeared on her arms, the sudden craving for raw meat. The only problem is that something is now murdering her newly discovered race and of course Schuyler had to find out who it is... or else she might be killed. And no one wants that.

Where can I even begin on the characters? I hated them all. Schuyler was unbearably flat and just plain boring. She was the typical 'replace a stereotype with another' type of character. To make her less girly, shallow and beautiful the author made her wear ugly clothes (to show she's not shallow I suppose) but still be unbelievably beautiful. I'm sorry but that's been done in... I don't know, how about ALL fairy tales. If she's described as plain and not pretty please keep her that way! I do not like huge revelations that the moment she puts on a pretty dress she becomes gorgeous. It doesn't happen! Another thing that annoyed me about her character was the fact that it changed so quickly. She went from shy-ish loner to modeling topless on a billboard - did I mention she's fifteen? What parents (or in her case grandparent) would let a FIFTEEN year old do that? in fact what modeling agency would authorize that? It must be against some kind of law. Other characters included the irresistible Jack Force who didn't seem that irresistible  He seemed very bland and had a downright creepy relationship with his sister Mimi. I do not want to know where that's going nor do I want to. Then there's Schuyler's best friend Oliver who was tolerable but then he kind of faded away. She would go about 6 chapters at a time without mentioning and he only appeared when he was needed for some kind of secret mission thing.

This book could've been so much better but it just didn't make it. The only reason that this wasn't a 1 star book was because I reserve that for unfinished books. What irritated me most about the book was just how unbelievable it was. The Blue Bloods somehow didn't realize that they were vamps until halfway through the book despite gorging themselves on raw meat like its normal. The reader was only told that the book was about vampires halfway through even though it tells us on the back cover of the book. The book seemed more like a fashion magazine than a fiction book most of the time because of the constant clothing descriptions and label dropping. I do not need to know what every character is wearing! The only thing I can applaud the author on is her effort to create a differant interpretation on the typical vampire book which I suppose she has done even if I didn't like her way of doing it. I am probably going to read the next few books in the series simply because I have them already... or I might give them to a charity shop. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone unless they are label obsessed and don't mind a plot less story with no action.

My Favorite Quote: 
“Black is the color of night. White is the true color of death”

Email me at: confessionsofabookaholic@LIVE.CO.UK

Poison Study By Maria V. Snyder

Friday 2 November 2012

Poison Study (Study, #1)Series: Study #1
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance
Release Date: September 1st 2007
Source: Bought
Overall Rating: 4/5 Stars
Cover Rating: 2/5 Stars
Synopsis: Choose: A quick death Or slow poison... 
Yelena has a choice – be executed for murder, or become food taster to the Commander of Ixia. She leaps at the chance for survival, but her relief may be short-lived. Life in the palace is full of hazards and secrets. Wily and smart, Yelena must learn to identify poisons before they kill her, recognize whom she can trust and how to spy on those she can’t. And who is the mysterious Southern sorceress who can reach into her head? When Yelena realizes she has extraordinary powers of her own, she faces a whole new problem, for using magic in Ixia is punishable by death...

Poison Study was a lot better than I thought it was going to be. It's the first book I have read by Maria Snyder though I had heard her name being thrown around the blogosphere. The only reason I picked up this book was because it sounded unlike anything I had ever read and I wanted a change - that and the fact the shop was having a 3 for 2 sale and I needed a third book. The book follows Yelena who's waiting to be executed when she gets a lifeline. She can be executed or be the royal food taster. Both of which almost certainly make her death inevitable but the latter gives her a bit longer at least. She chooses to be a food taster and is immediately made to train with the dangerous Valek. She is taught to identify the poisons but not before being given one herself to stop her running away, a poison that will kill her unless she takes the antidote once a day. With escape impossible Yelena adapts to life in Ixia but she is not safe...

Yelena was exactly how a heroine should be. She was smart, stubborn and strong. She didn't rely on anyone and didn't whine. Not even when she was waiting to be executed! There's nothing I hate more than a whiny heroine. Yelena wasn't described as pretty, she has personality instead of looks which I've noticed is becoming a more and more popular trait in Young Adult books. Valek was also amazing. He was a ninja! Well maybe not a ninja but assassin doesn't sound as cool. Anyway, I loved the chemistry between him and Yelena, their relationship was entertaining to watch. Two other characters, Ari and Janco were awesome. They are both guards so you would expect them to be hard and mean. Well they weren't. Once they became friends with Yelena their protective sides came out. They were fiercely devoted to protecting her and just very sweet.

I really enjoyed this book and am going to pick up the second as soon as I can. The world building in Poison Study was exceptional, there was even a map at the beginning of the book which I reverted back to at many points in the book.It was very helpful. I would reccomend this to those who enjoy fantasy or even those who don't have much experience with it (like me) because this makes a great first. One thing I should say is although the book is young adult it is a very adult, young adult book for more mature readers.

My Favorite Quote

“Poisoned, pursued and living with a psychopath. Not what I would consider the good life. Death has its perks.”

Email me at: confessionsofabookaholic@LIVE.CO.UK

Waiting On Wednesday: Paper Valentine

Wednesday 31 October 2012

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted over at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. I am eagerly awaiting so many it was very hard to choose which one I was going to spotlight today. In honor of Halloween I have chosen one of the creepiest books on my to-read list.


Paper Valentine
Release Date: January 8th 2013
Synopsis: The city of Ludlow is gripped by the hottest July on record. The asphalt is melting, the birds are dying, petty crime is on the rise, and someone in Hannah Wagnor’s peaceful suburban community is killing girls. 
For Hannah, the summer is a complicated one. Her best friend Lillian died six months ago, and Hannah just wants her life to go back to normal. But how can things be normal when Lillian’s ghost is haunting her bedroom, pushing her to investigate the mysterious string of murders? 
Hannah’s just trying to understand why her friend self-destructed, and where she fits now that Lillian isn't there to save her a place among the social elite. And she must stop thinking about Finny Boone, the big, enigmatic delinquent whose main hobbies seem to include petty larceny and surprising acts of kindness. With the entire city in a panic, Hannah soon finds herself drawn into a world of ghost girls and horrifying secrets. She realizes that only by confronting the Valentine Killer will she be able move on with her life—and it’s up to her to put together the pieces before he strikes again. 
Paper Valentine is a hauntingly poetic tale of love and death by the New York Times bestselling author of The Replacement and The Space Between.

Why can't I wait?
We don't have nearly enough young adult books centered around ghosts! The only one I can think of is Anna Dressed In Blood. If someone asked you to bring them a ghost book you'd bring them a horror right? Well it is always refreshing to see a non-horror ghost book! Plus it looks perfectly creepy but will sadly not be released in time for Halloween...

Email me at: confessionsofabookaholic@LIVE.CO.UK

This Is Not A Test By Courtney Summers

This is Not a Test
Series: Standalone
Genre: Young Adult, Horror, Dystopia
Release Date: June 1st 2012 
Source: Bought 
Overall Rating: 5/5 Stars 
Cover Rating: 3/5 Stars 
Synopsis: It’s the end of the world. Six students have taken cover in Cortege High but shelter is little comfort when the dead outside won’t stop pounding on the doors. One bite is all it takes to kill a person and bring them back as a monstrous version of their former self. To Sloane Price, that doesn’t sound so bad. Six months ago, her world collapsed and since then, she’s failed to find a reason to keep going. Now seems like the perfect time to give up. As Sloane eagerly waits for the barricades to fall, she’s forced to witness the apocalypse through the eyes of five people who actually want to live. But as the days crawl by, the motivations for survival change in startling ways and soon the group’s fate is determined less and less by what’s happening outside and more and more by the unpredictable and violent bids for life—and death—inside. When everything is gone, what do you hold on to?

I was very hesitant to read this book. Not because it didn't look very good but because it did look so good. In my experience the ones that look the best are often the worst. Not because their bad but because your expectations were so high that disappointment tarnishes anything you may have liked ordinarily. That was the fear I had for this book. I was lucky though because this book actually exceeded my expectations which was very rare indeed. The book is set at literally the end of the world. Yes it's the zombie apocalypse. The good thing is that the book is less centred on the zombies but more on how it has changed the characters lives. Nearly the whole book takes place inside a high school. Sloane and 5 other students have taken cover there. The five students are desperate to survive but Sloane just wants to pull down all the barriers and throw herself to the zombies. But she can't, she may want to die but the others don't. As the days go on and Sloane spends more and more time with the others, her motivation to live slowly seeps back in.

The characters in this book were unbelievably real. They all had flaws some larger than others but they all surfaced. Sloane's story is really what caught my interest in the first place. She comes across very cold and distant but her reasons behind it really make you feel for her. I loved the authors unflinching way of portraying the character. She doesn't hold back which is what I think makes Sloane such a believable character. The other characters were so great I have to tell you about them all which is not something I usually do. Cary was the oldest, he was the kind of person you would cross the road to avoid. The thing about him was that the moment we met him he gave off such a huge misunderstood vibe I had to like him. He may have been very into self preservation but he looked after those he cared about and that's what mattered. Rhys was the popular guy at school but he wasn't all stuck up. He looked after Sloane, even when she didn't want him to. What I liked about the twins, Trace and Grace, was how devoted they were to each other. They argued as all siblings do but they were inseparable throughout. Lastly is Harrison. He's the youngest of them all. The reason I liked him so much was how much he grew throughout. He started off wimpy but by the end he was one of the bravest and probably the most admirable.

This book was flawless and the best zombie book I've ever read without a doubt. By the end I was almost in tears. I said in my earlier review of The Forest Of Hands And Teeth that I don't get upset with books unless I bond with the characters and unlike in that book, I really did. I would recommend this book is absolutely anyone and everyone because it was truly one of the best I've read this year.

My Favourite Quote:

“I wouldn't have left you like that. Not like she did to me." I swallow hard. "She always said I'd die without her and she left anyway."

"But you didn't die," He says.

"I did," I say. "I'm just waiting for the rest of me to catch up.”


Email me at: confessionsofabookaholic@LIVE.CO.UK

The Knife Of Never Letting Go By Patrick Ness

Monday 29 October 2012

The Knife of Never Letting Go (Chaos Walking, #1)
Series: Chaos Walking #1
Genre: Young Adult, Dystopia, Science Fiction 
Release Date: May 5th 2008
Source: Bought 
Overall Rating: 5/5 Stars 
Cover Rating: 2/5 Stars 
Synopsis: Todd Hewitt is the only boy in a town of men. Ever since the settlers were infected with the Noise germ, Todd can hear everything the men think, and they hear everything he thinks. Todd is just a month away from becoming a man, but in the midst of the cacophony, he knows that the town is hiding something from him -- something so awful Todd is forced to flee with only his dog, whose simple, loyal voice he hears too. With hostile men from the town in pursuit, the two stumble upon a strange and eerily silent creature: a girl. Who is she? Why wasn't she killed by the germ like all the females on New World? Propelled by Todd's gritty narration, readers are in for a white-knuckle journey in which a boy on the cusp of manhood must unlearn everything he knows in order to figure out who he truly is.

I did not at all expect to like this book. Not sure why I bought it actually but I am very glad I did. It took a while to get used to it because of the way it's written. Words are written how they are pronounced like creatures is spelled 'creachers', direction is 'direktshun' etc. Although that annoyed me at first, as I grew to love Todd I also grew to love the way he spoke. Some authors wouldn't have been able to make that happen but Patrick Ness managed it. The book follows Todd who is the last boy in Prentisstown with just a month to go until his birthday makes him a man. The noise has always been part of life, everyone can hear everyone's thoughts. There are no secrets. Or at least that is what he thought.When Todd comes across a girl in the forest after being told they had all been killed and they both flee together.

Todd was an awesome character. It is very difficult to believe that he is only twelve years old. The commentary we are treated to makes Todd seem a lot older. Although I had minor issues with the way he spoke at the beginning, by the end I enjoyed it. Todd seemed a very real character, he wasn't the perfect, hot guy we are usually given in young adult books (though that would be weird since he's 12!). No Todd is an awkward teen (tween?) boy and I loved him. I loved the way Ness conveyed his character, making him loveable without being too perfect. Just normal. Another character I loved was Viola, instead of falling for Todd right away which is what normally what would happen in YA books, she is very suspicious of him. She doesn't even speak to him for about fifty pages and hits him with a stick a couple of times. I'm usually wary of reading books with talking animals in but Todd's dog Manchee was amazing. He displayed all the characteristics you would normally associate with dogs, love, loyalty, plus he could speak. It left me wanting my own Manchee.

This book truly blew me away, it was totally unflinching and real and not at all what I expected. I thought the book would be slightly childish because of the 'children's fiction prize' heading on the cover but now I'm not sure how it qualifies as a children's book. I am very glad I bought the second and third book since I will be diving into them very soon. This book is genius and well deserving of all of the awards it has. I would recommend this to everyone! Except maybe younger children because at times it can be very crude. Seriously this book is well worth the buy, borrow, steal or however you choose to get your books - I wont judge.

My Favorite Quotes:

“Here's what I think," I say and my voice is stronger and thoughts are coming, thoughts that trickle into my noise like whispers of truth. "I think maybe everybody falls," I say. "I think maybe we all do. And I don't think that's the asking." I pull on her arms gently to make sure she's listening. "I think the asking is whether we get back up again.”

“The first thing you find out when yer dog learns to talk is that dogs don't got nothing much to say.
About anything. 
"Need a poo, Todd." 
"Shutup, Manchee." 
"Poo. Poo, Todd." 
"I said shut it.”

Email me at: confessionsofabookaholic@LIVE.CO.UK

Going Too Far By Jennifer Echols

Friday 26 October 2012

Going Too FarSeries: Standalone 
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary 
Release Date: March 17th 2009
Source: Bought 
Overall Rating: 4/5 Stars
Cover Rating: 2/5 Stars
Synopsis:  HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO? 
All Meg has ever wanted is to get away. Away from high school. Away from her backwater town. Away from her parents who seem determined to keep her imprisoned in their dead-end lives. But one crazy evening involving a dare and forbidden railroad tracks, she goes way too far...and almost doesn't make it back. John made a choice to stay. To enforce the rules. To serve and protect. He has nothing but contempt for what he sees as childish rebellion, and he wants to teach Meg a lesson she won't soon forget. But Meg pushes him to the limit by questioning everything he learned at the police academy. And when he pushes back, demanding to know why she won't be tied down, they will drive each other to the edge - and over...

I had never read a book by Jennifer Echols but I had heard great things about her. I originally wanted to read her book Such A Rush but I couldn't find it in my bookshop so I made do with this one. I'm glad I did because it was actually a really great book. It follows Meg and John. Two very different characters on the surface but deeper down you see how similar they really are. Meg want's to leave her suffocating town as soon as she can, she doesn't care how but she will. John chose to stay for reasons Meg can't understand. Both want to be in control of their lives and they are going to push each other to the limit.

One thing I loved about this book is how real the characters were. I really liked Meg, she made some stupid decisions at times but she acted like a real teenager which is rare in young adult books. Meg's rebellion is very real, something you would expect an actual teenager to do. Her reasons lie a lot deeper though which is one difference between her and the majority of teenagers I know. John was a really good character too. At times his controlling attitude annoyed me but his sweetness brought it back for me. His reason for his fixation on the bridge was obvious for me but it made a really good branch of the story. The minor characters like Will and Tiffany were really well developed and likable which is not a regular occurrence in the YA world.

Jennifer Echol's writing is amazing and flawless and I will most definitely be investing in more of Echol's books. This book has reignited my love of YA contemporary so I will be looking out for more in the genre (any recommendations?). I would recommend this book to those who enjoy more mature young adult books as this is not one for younger young adults.

My Favorite Quotes:

“Waiter, this is not the policeman I ordered. I wanted one with a lot less sauce.”

“But you can’t live your life worried about dying all the time. If you do, you’re dead already.”

Email me at: confessionsofabookaholic@LIVE.CO.UK

Stacking The Shelves (7)

Sunday 21 October 2012

STSmall_thumb[2]Stacking the shelves is hosted over at Tynga's Reviews. This week I rediscovered Amazon and I can't go on that website without buying something at least. And by something I mean at least five books each time. Click the images for more information on Goodreads.
So here is what I got:

Bought:
Rebel Angels (Gemma Doyle, #2)City of Lost Souls (The Mortal Instruments, #5)

I bought Rebel Angels because although I didn't like the first one all that much I have been told they get better and I'm hoping that's true. City Of Lost Souls is another story all together, I've loved all of Cassandra Clare's books so I'm certain I will love this one just as much. I'm surprised I didn't buy it sooner actually.

The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden, #1)Cinder (Lunar Chronicles, #1)

I got The Immortal Rules on Netgallery, twice, but I never read it in time so I decided to just buy it myself. Cinder looks like a really awesome retelling and I haven't read many of those.

Under the Never Sky (Under the Never Sky, #1)My Soul to Take (Soul Screamers, #1)

Everyone is always talking about Under The Never Sky so I gave into temptation and bought it just so I could see what all the fuss was about. I read Rachel Vincent's Shifter's series and loved it so much that I had to try her young adult series. My Soul To Take's cover really is stunning minus the Twilight comparison of course.

For Review:
Fireseed One

The author wrote to me requesting a review of FireSeed and after looking it up I much happily obliged.

Library: 

Crossed (Matched, #2)

I didn't like the first book, Matched, all that much so I thought I would try out the Crossed from the library instead of paying for it.


I also received some swag from the lovely Corrine Jackson, sorry the pictures the wrong way round. I couldn't change it.

What books did you get recently? Leave me your links and I'll check them out.
Email me at: confessionsofabookaholic@LIVE.CO.UK

Imaginary Girls By Nova Ren Suma

Saturday 20 October 2012

Series: Standalone
GenreYoung Adult, Magical Realism, Paranormal
Release Date: June 14th 2011
Source: Bought
Overall Rating: 3/5 Stars
Cover Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Synopsis: Chloe's older sister, Ruby, is the girl everyone looks to and longs for, who can't be captured or caged. When a night with Ruby's friends goes horribly wrong and Chloe discovers the dead body of her classmate London Hayes left floating in the reservoir, Chloe is sent away from town and away from Ruby. But Ruby will do anything to get her sister back, and when Chloe returns to town two years later, deadly surprises await. As Chloe flirts with the truth that Ruby has hidden deeply away, the fragile line between life and death is redrawn by the complex bonds of sisterhood.

What did I just read? That was the first thought that popped into my mind when I finished this book. I have never been so dumbfounded by a book before. I'm not even sure whether I liked it or not. I spent the entire book with questions and when the answers came at the end I just didn't get them. I wasn't originally even going to rate this book because I'm just not sure what it actually deserves. The book centers around sisters, Ruby and Chloe. They are very close but there is something not right about Ruby. I can't really say anymore about this book since the best thing about it is the shock of all the events.

It's hard to describe the characters in this book. The minor characters were just pawns in moving the story along, they didn't really have personalities. Chloe, the main character, didn't really have a personality either but then I suppose that was the point. Chloe worshiped her sister Ruby and they seemed to have a really good relationship... at first. Ruby was psychotic. Interesting, but psychotic. She was also a siren when it came to her old boyfriends as they - and everyone else in town - doted on her. Did she deserve it? Nope. The only thing I actually liked was hope dedicated she is to her sister, even if it is in a creepy way. One thing that really annoyed me was that we were told about one character who was immune to Ruby's charms but that didn't go anywhere. You would expect them to be the hero of the story, they weren't.

Time for some positives! The story building and the writing in the book really was gorgeous. If it weren't for the characters I would have rated it a lot higher on the beautiful writing alone. I did really enjoy the book even if the ending was mega confusing. I would recomend this book to people who enjoy beautiful writing but don't mind huge mind benders.

My Favorite Quote:
“The story you choose to tell isn't always the story you believe.”

Email me at: confessionsofabookaholic@LIVE.CO.UK

Rogue By Rachel Vincent

Sunday 7 October 2012

Rogue (Shifters, #2)Series: Shifters #1
Genre: Adult, Urban Fantasy
Release Date: April 1st 2008
Source: Bought
Overall Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Cover Rating: 2.5/5 Stars
Synopsis: Okay, so cats don't always land on their feet. I know that better than most. Since rejoining the Pride, I've made big decisions and even bigger mistakes: the kind paid for with innocent lives. As the first and only female enforcer, I have plenty to prove to my father, the Pride, and myself. And with murdered toms turning up in our territory, I'm working harder than ever, though I always find the energy for a little after-hours recreation with Marc, my partner both on- and off-duty. But not all of my mistakes are behind me. We're beginning to suspect that the dead are connected to a rash of missing human women and that they can all be laid at my feet--two or four, take your pick. And one horrible indiscretion may yet cost me more than I can bear...

I knew I was going to love this book because I had loved the first so much and it seems for once I was right. I loved it just as much as the last, maybe more. This book follows on from the first, Faythe has agreed to rejoin the Pride and in return her father has let her become an enforcer. The only ever female enforcer. But with that comes responsibility especially when the usual females in the Pride are normally treated as if they were made of porcelain. Then again Faythe has never been the usual female. She can fend for herself and will hurt anyone who says she can't. When Toms and human women begin turning up dead she knows it has something to do with her, and she has to do something about it.

As in the first book I still love Faythe! She is badass personified. I think she beat up more guys in this one that the last so that's always a plus. Faythe is very entertaining, witty and a total bookworm. Talk about challenging stereotypes, she has it all. I love her relationship with Marc though his possessiveness is really getting on my nerves. The minor characters are just as good. Seriously apart from Marc, I have no problems with any of the characters. Ethan has to be my favorite of her brothers though. There's something about him and his friend Jace that just radiates awesome.

This book is fast paced and the twists and turns will have you trying to puzzle the mystery out yourself. I must say, I figured it out before Faythe did but only by a few pages. The whole book is thoroughly entertaining and one of my favorite adult series'. I would recommend this rollercoaster ride of a book to anyone who likes adult urban fantasy with a very strong heroine.

My Favorite Quote:
“I laughed. It was just like Owen to make excuses for someone else’s shortcomings. Even fictional characters. Owen found my tendency to speak my mind “refreshingly honest,” and hailed Marc’s temper as “a deep protective instinct.” He said Ethan “thoroughly enjoyed life,” and that Parker “really knew how to have a good time.” According to Owen, we were all doing just fine, and all was right with the world.”

Email me at: confessionsofabookaholic@LIVE.CO.UK

Waiting On Wednesday: The Evolution Of Mara Dyer

Wednesday 3 October 2012


I've decided to start this meme again, not sure why but alas I have. I'll try to stick to it this time!
"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted over at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

The Evolution of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer, #2)
Synopsis: Mara Dyer once believed she could run from her past. 
She can’t. 
She used to think her problems were all in her head. 
They aren't. 
She couldn't imagine that after everything she’s been through, the boy she loves would still be keeping secrets. 
She’s wrong. 
In this gripping sequel to The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, the truth evolves and choices prove deadly. What will become of Mara Dyer next?
Release Date: October 23rd 2012

Why Can't I Wait?
Because the first book in the series was amazing! I still have so many unanswered questions though so I'm hoping they will become clear in this one. Plus I need more Noah!
Read my review of The Unbecoming Of Mara Dyer here.

Email me at: confessionsofabookaholic@LIVE.CO.UK
Blog contents © Confessions Of A Bookaholic 2010. Blogger Theme by Nymphont.