Blogspiration #5

Blogspiration is a new weekly meme hosted by GrowingUp YA and Saz101. Where inspirational quotes/pictures/videos are posted to bring a little creativity or conversation into the blogging world.

I know, you're shocked - a Blogspiration post 2 weeks in a row? You're probably thinking "Kim must be insane!" Well, you might be right, but that's not why I'm posting again. Last week Sarah sparked my blogspiration interest with Doctor Who and this week is no different. I'm going to share a bit more Doctor Who love. 

My absolute favourite video featuring my FAVOURITE Doctor (David Tennant) and one of the best companions (Catherine Tate).

Enjoy!

p.s. David Tennant and a Scottish accent...I dare you not to swoon.

Kim

In My Mailbox #16

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

I surprised myself this week by actually buying a couple of books. I haven't bought anything for myself in such a long time and I had to stop myself from going a little crazy and buying every book I could get my hands on. Check out my goodies below.

Rhiannon of the Spring - Allen Frenwin Jones

The first book in the Destiny's Path series, given to me by Hachette. I keep seeing the covers everywhere and they're gorgeous. I love a good action heroine. And a Saxon invasion which forces the heroine to fight? Perfect! Can't wait to see what this one is like.

[Note on the cover: I usually use Goodreads covers and they're pretty good at having all editions loaded for well established books. But Goodreads has the series down as the "Warrior Princess" series and Hachette clearly markets the series as "Destiny's Path" and I wanted to show the copy I received, so just note, the book will be labelled differently on Goodreads.]

Storm - Brigid Kemmerer

I have been waiting what feels like forever for this book! I read the prequel novella (Elementals - same as the series name) a few weeks ago when I needed something amazing to lift my spirits, and it did. Since then, I've been dying for more of the Merrick Brothers and to find out just what their lives are really like. I've just about finished Storm, so look for the review soon. It's an amazing book so far.




Black Dawn - Rachel Caine

The next instalment in the Morganville Vampires series, another I've been waiting forever for. Morganville is a strange little town, one I've become addicted to, especially in the last couple of books. The energy has just jumped to a whole new level. I'm looking forward to getting back into this world.

Book marks & badges from my lovely twitter friend, Pavan. A couple of the bookmarks are signed. You can see Slide's signature, but Shade's also signed :) Thank you so much Pavan :)

Speaking of signed swag. This meant to go up a couple of weeks ago, but family issues made me forget. Signed bookmarks and extra special book plates from Jeri Smith-Ready. I may have squealed when I saw they had arrived.

And that's my mailbox for this week.

Kim

Slated - Teri Terry

Slated (Slated #1) - Teri Terry
Grade: YA
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Kyla’s memory has been erased,
her personality wiped blank,
her memories lost for ever.

She’s been Slated.

The government claims she was a terrorist, and that they are giving her a second chance - as long as she plays by their rules. But echoes of the past whisper in Kyla’s mind. Someone is lying to her, and nothing is as it seems. Who can she trust in her search for the truth? (Description from Goodreads)


~ * ~ * ~

I always feel extremely satisfied when I come across an amazing dystopia. When the world and society are so well developed that you feel that everything is real; it is incredibly hard not to fall in love. Teri Terry has created the perfect world for Kyla’s story. A dark, mysterious lifestyle, where no-one can be trusted, memories are not always yours to keep and emotions become public records to keep track of the Slated.

Have you ever done something wrong and hoped you could forget it and start all over again? Well that’s what it’s like to be Slated, to get a clean slate and have all your memories wiped...only it’s not always by choice. The government claims terrorists and criminals make up the Slated population, giving them a chance to re-enter society peacefully and without the trouble of their past. This is what happens to Kyla Davis - she has been Slated. She doesn’t know how she came to be one of the many who have been reintegrated into the community, having no idea what her life was like before. All she knows is that she has spent the last 9 months learning how to walk, speak and act all over again, is now part of a new family with a mother, father and sister she knows nothing about, and must keep control of her feelings by relying on her Levo – a watch-like object attached to Slateds that records their level of emotions.

I loved the Slated idea; it made everything slightly creepy, to have all these teenagers walking around minus their old memories and trying to fit into a society that is so tense around them. There was this sense of the unknown hanging over everyone’s heads, with the population trying to guess who the Slated people were before their new lives and shunning them for no longer being natural. Are they Criminals? Terrorists? Government Spies? ‘Slated’ is a book of questions, and with every new answer there are more questions, especially when it comes to Kyla.

The moment I started the book, I knew I adored Kyla. Her voice captured my attention immediately and fit so well for the dark and mysterious world. As a Slated teen, her grasp on life is fragile. She becomes child-like, not knowing what a cat is and why it purrs, or why you should not hold the sharp end of a knife; yet she understands so much more than she should just 9 months after her initial slating. And she seems to be remembering things from her life before. It is crazy insane and so intriguing. You can’t help wanting to know more about Kyla; being desperate to find out what she remembers and who she was before she became ‘Kyla Davis’.

Part of what made the book so edgy and dark was the issue of trust; who to trust, but more importantly who not to trust. The nice ones might be hiding something more than you can see; and the mean ones are just trying to protect themselves and the people they love. Like all good books there are many secrets and hidden thoughts, both of which drove me mental trying to piece everything together. This was especially true towards the end of the novel when a few pieces of the puzzle dropped into existence. I’m going to struggle to stay sane waiting for book 2.

An amazing start to what I’m sure will be an equally amazing series. I can’t wait to see what Kyla uncovers next.

4.5/5 stars


Kim
(Originally posted on Goodreads)

Pandemonium - Lauren Oliver

Pandemonium (Delirium #2) - Lauren Oliver

Grade: YA

Rating: 4/5 stars

I'm pushing aside the memory of my nightmare,
pushing aside thoughts of Alex,
pushing aside thoughts of Hana and my old school,
push,
push,
push,
like Raven taught me to do.
The old life is dead.
But the old Lena is dead too.
I buried her.
I left her beyond a fence,
behind a wall of smoke and flame.

Lauren Oliver delivers an electrifying follow-up to her acclaimed New York Times bestseller, Delirium. This riveting, brilliant novel crackles with the fire of fierce defiance, forbidden romance, and the sparks of a revolution about to ignite. (description from Goodreads)

~ * ~ * ~

There’s something about the way Lauren Oliver writes that makes my heart pump like I’ve been running a marathon (it could be the use of short sentences, but I’m not to sure). Whatever it is, I like it.

I was warned about this book before reading it. I was warned that I would find it sad. The warning was right, I did. I found it sad, heart wrenching, frustrating and numerous other things.

As I sit here, I find myself struggling to write a review. There are a couple of reasons for this. One, the blurb gives nothing away, so no matter what I say it could be considered a spoiler. The second reason is that though I liked the book- it was very well written, it kept me entertained, the world was dark and dangerous; just how a good dystopia is meant to be- I felt like it was missing “something”. Delirium had that “something” (yes I’m using “something” instead of telling what it is), and it made Delirium AMAZING! Instead I felt, well, kind of sad and disappointed.

Pandemonium starts with the present (using the term “Now” as the chapter heading), and the following chapter changes to the past (“Then”). It continues to flip throughout the novel, until the end, where the past links back to where they are in the present. At the start it was a little confusing but I soon fell into the pattern.
The past begins where Delirium left off; Lena running in the Wilds alone and afraid. She’s injured and believes that Alex is dead. She is saved by a group of Invalids, and that it where the story of Pandemonium really begins. This novel is full of new characters, some I really liked and others not so much. But I’ve never read a series where in the second novel we get a whole new set of characters. To be honest, the reason why I didn’t give this 5 stars was because I liked the characters in Delirium better. And even though Lena is in the Wilds now, I was hoping we would still see the old characters again.

Saying all this, I did like Pandemonium, but I guess it wasn’t what I was expecting. I also can not believe how this book ended. What are authors doing to us with these incredibly mean endings? I can’t wait for book 3 but I’m also terrified of it. I can only hope its going to end the way I want.

Kerrie

(Originally posted on Goodreads)

RANDOM POSTING: Book Names?

This book is a work of fiction. 

Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of 

the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. 

Any resemblance to actual people living or dead, events 

or locales is entirely coincidental.

We’ve all seen the above passage in one form or another in the front of almost every book we pick up. For the most part, you’re probably like me; you ignore it or giggle at the fact that a disclaimer needs to be placed at the start of a story to make sure everyone is aware it’s supposed to be fictional. It doesn’t really seem important until you actually find someone you know in a book.

Kerrie and I had an interesting conversation this morning in regards to this passage and I wanted to know how everyone else reacts to it.

I don't often come across names in books that change the way I see them. I usually - despite giggling at the above reminder - think all books are fiction, so the characters' names are uniquely theirs...or at least I did think that way until now.

Recently, I discovered that a current, popular book has a main character with my sister’s name. You have no idea how strange that is (...or maybe you do?) This book is a realistic adult book and will remain nameless to protect my sister's identity, but despite the fact that there are slight spelling difference in the name, it's read the same way, so I can't bring myself to read it because in my head it’d be as though I'm reading about my sister.

Today I found out the main character apparently has similar looks to my sister as well, which makes it even worse. If I was reading the book, I wouldn't have a way to distance myself from the image of my sister and the book character who I guess is her literary twin in name and appearance.

When I think about it objectively, it probably shouldn't bother me. I see my sister's first name in books all the time. I seems like every second novel I read these days has a character with her name, so you'd think I'd be used to it by now. But when you match it with our surname it just makes things a little crazy and uncomfortable.

So I want to know, have you ever come across you name or someone you know in a book before and how did you react to it? Did you know before you started that you'd be reading about someone you know, do you keep reading and just remind yourself that it's all fiction? Or do you not read it at all?

Leave me a comment, I'd really like to hear what you think about this, even if it's just to laugh at me for not being about to read about my sister.


Kim

Blogspiration #4

Blogspiration is a new weekly meme hosted by GrowingUp YA and Saz101. Where inspirational quotes/pictures/videos are posted to bring a little creativity or conversation into the blogging world.

Once again, I spent A LOT of time trying to work out if I was going to post a Blogspiration for this week. I was going to do a post about ANZAC Day (because it's this Wednesday and the meaning its history is pretty inspirations). But it turned out to be slightly too depressing for Blogspiration.

So I was flipping through random fandom pictures I have saved on my computer and found one that made me giggle. Then - and this is the important part - I saw Sarah's Blogspiration post and I realised my picture must have been fate.

I give you two of my loves, joined together.

The TimeLord of the Rings: Return of the Tardis

(I'd post a source, but I actually don't remember where I found it.)

Now that's a movie I could watch over and over and over again. 

Happy Blogging!

Kim

In My Mailbox #15

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

This week has been pretty epic for me. It started on Monday, getting a book by one of my favourite authors - one I've been waiting months to get my hands on - and continued to be amazing on Tuesday with an explosion of Hachette books.

Tortall and Other Lands - Tamora Pierce

I may have gone a little mental when this one arrived in the mail. Tamora Pierce is...I have no coherent words for much much I love her. I can't wait to explore the stories in this book.

Gallagher Girls (books 1-5) - Ally Carter

Thanks has to go to many people for this set of books. Pavan - for donating part of her prize to me; Lisa and Brodie - for hosting a fantastic Valentine's Day Event and Hachette - for providing the books! I've never read a spy book before - unless you count Tamora Pierce's 'Tricksters' series which involves a lot of spying, but I wouldn't really call a spy book - so I'll be interested to see if I'm a fan of spy books. I've heard great things about the series, so I'm sure I will enjoy it.

Slated - Teri Terry


I first discovered this book a few weeks ago. I saw the cover (with those amazing green eyes), read what the book was about and I was sold. Teen having her memory erased by the government, sounds pretty epic to me. I can't wait!

Dark Heart Rising - Lee Monroe

Yay, I'm so excited for Dark Heart Rising. Can't wait to see what Jane and Luca face this time around. Their cute romance and supernatural issues were just the fun sort of book I was looking for and I'm sure book 2 will be just as awesome.





Insurgent - Veronica Roth

Kerrie was nice enough to lend me her early copy of Insurgent this week. I feel pretty special and thankful that she let me borrow it. (still don't know what I think of the purple cover though)








And that's my mailbox for this week.

Kim

A Witch In Winter - Ruth Warburton

A Witch In Winter (Winter Trilogy #1)
                                                 - Ruth Warburton
Grade: YA
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

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

Although a perfect fit for the paranormal romance genre, A WITCH IN WINTER avoids fangs, excessive body hair and submissive female leads, and tells the heart-wrenching story of a couple meant to be together, but being forced apart. Seth is utterly irresistible and Anna is an empowered, proactive young woman with unimaginable magic inside her. This is fast-paced, sensuous writing with believable incantations inspired by Warburton's research into witchcraft legend and old English. (Description from Goodreads)
~ * ~ * ~

If you found a mysterious book full of spells, what spell would you try first? A love spell, of course. I can’t say I blame Anna Winterson and her friends for performing this little spell during a sleepover; it’s the one I’d probably try, thinking it would cause the least amount of damage. Boy is that the wrong assumption. A lot of damage can be done from a little magic.

Anna and her father have just moved to Winter, a small town on the coast of England, with the idea of starting fresh in a new environment. Little do they know that Winter is the home of many witches all intent on flying under the radar of normal people (also known as the “outwith”) Anna is thrown into the magically community thanks to the mysterious spell book she discovers in her house. Unfortunately, flying under the radar isn’t an option when you don’t know you’re doing magic in the first place. To make matters worse, there is a governing body of witches – the Ealdwitan – who will do anything it takes to make sure Anna remains under their control.

The Ealdwitan had me shaking my fists a bit. Their presence in the book isn’t made known for quite some time and even after they first pop up, you sort of think to yourself that they can’t be too bad if they’re just trying to keep magic a secret, especially with the way people tend to react to witchcraft. But there’s more to them than just their issues of control and secrecy. Although from the way the book ended, it looks like they’re not the worst bunch in the magical community. Look out for the crows, they’re a little creepy.

Obviously magic is a pretty major theme throughout the book and I loved it. I’ve always been a fan of witches, mostly because of Charmed, but this year has seen me explore the world of witches in books a lot more. And ‘A Witch in Winter’ really helped to fuel my witchy obsession. I love when weather magic comes into play in books, there's something extra special about controlling weather. There is so much weather magic in this book, especially storms. Ordinarily storms would give me the creeps. There’s a scene were Anna goes running for her Dad’s bed in the middle of a massive magic storm and I could totally imagine myself doing the exact same thing. Nothing better than hiding under the bed sheets in the middle of a scary storm, whether it has been made by magic or not. Despite my dislike of storms, the gathering clouds and epic rainfall brought a darker tone to the book that just made it even better than before.

I was a little concerned about Seth and his instant love for Anna. Obviously he was given a small push in that direction what with the spell Anna performed; but it did seem a bit odd that, having only known her for two weeks, he was instantly in love. Although I admire Anna for not falling for the same trap, being firm with herself and attempting to stay away. In the end, Seth and Anna proved to have a pretty cute romantic life. Their dedication and attachment to each other was definitely something that made me smile. I’m worried about book 2 though; I sensed a hint of a love triangle towards the end, but nothing too obvious yet.

My biggest issue – and pretty much only issue – with the book was the Old English text for spells. I thought it was cool to have the spells written in a similar way to how they would have been thousands of years ago. But it was a little difficult to pronounce everything; I struggled to keep the flow of the book going through spell scenes because I kept stopping to try and pronounce the words right. However, when you were past the spell the book ran smoothly and I loved it.

Looking forward to book 2. I’m sure it’s going to be an amazing read.

4.5/5 stars


Kim
(Originally posted on Goodreads)

Insurgent - Veronica Roth

Insurgent (Divergent #2) - Veronica Roth

Grade: YA

Rating: 5/5 stars

One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth's much-anticipated second book of the dystopian Divergent series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature. (Description from Goodreads)

~ *~ *~

Insurgent was one of my most anticipated reads of 2012 and it did not disappoint.

Insurgent is a well paced, well written sequel to the mind blowing Divergent. It begins right where Divergent left off with Tris, Tobias (aka Four), Peter, Caleb and Marcus on the train leaving the Dauntless compound and the events behind them, and heading to the Amity compound. What follows next is a non-stop, heart pounding novel. Tris’s enemies won’t stop until their goals are realised, and it’s up to Tris to try and out smart them if they have any hope in winning.

This book is a lot darker than Divergent. Tris is trying to overcome her grief and guilt over all the events in the past. I love the character growth of Tris. She was so lost, lost in grief and guilt, at the start but by the end she has become this amazing strong person. She stands up for her beliefs and makes tough decisions, even knowing what the consequences to herself will be. She finally knows who she is and what she wants, and isn’t afraid to stand up for both.

Thrilling action, heartache, betrayal; it had it all. Insurgent had me in its grips from the first page and did not let me go.

Watch out for the ending. I did NOT see that coming and I have NO idea what’s in store for book 3.

Kerrie

(Originally posted on Goodreads)

Blood Bound Winner

Winner!

Our second giveaway has come to an end and it's time to announce the winner. 

And the winner is: 

Celine!

Congrats Celine! You'll be getting an email from us very soon. 

Thanks to everyone who entered. Look out for more giveaways in the near future.

Kim & Kerrie

In My Mailbox #14

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

My IMM for this week is actually made up of books from the last couple of weeks. I've been out-of-action with blog posts, so it's time for a catch up. 

Spell Bound - Rachel Hawkins

I loved the first 2 Hex Hall books and I'm really looking forward to reading the final book in the trilogy, but I've been warned against reading it at the moment because it is a little sad and I'm in a semi-fragile state at the moment, so unfortunately Spell Bound will be delayed for a bit.

I also adore the US covers (<--) I think they're really pretty ... but in trying to avoid buying a hardback book, I ended up with the UK cover, which is not nearly as awesome. So now none of my Hex Hall books match, it's a little depressing really, but at least the content is still the same. 

(UK cover -->)

Pandemonium - Lauren Oliver

I got Pandemonium just before Lauren Oliver was in Australia. I didn't get a chance to meet her, but Mandee managed to get my books signed (I'll post photos next week when I get my book back) Thank you Mandee. Looking forward to reading this one. I loved Delirium so I have high expectations. 

Dark Heart Forever - Lee Monroe 

I read this book last week and just adored it. Simple, fun, supernatural read and I can't wait to get book #2 to see what happens next. And you can see my review here.

A Witch in Winter - Ruth Warburton 

My Year of the Witch obsession continues and all thanks to Hachette! I've been eyeing A Witch in Winter for some time now. The cover and model are gorgeous (Elizabeth May...same model as on the cover of the UK Demon Trappers editions). I'm mid-way through this one and loving it. Luckily book #2 comes out in July, so not too long to wait when I've finished. 

And that's my mailbox for this week.

Kim

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer - Michelle Hodkin

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #1) 

- Michelle Hodkin

Grade: YA
Rating: 5/5 stars

Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.

It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.

There is.

She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.

She's wrong. (Description from Goodreads)
~ * ~ * ~

‘The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer’ is not a simple book. I’m struggling to put into words just how complex and crazy the book was. Twists and turns; creepy images and an endless amount of questioning and wonder. I will warn you, this review is going to be a lot less detailed than I’d like it to be, only because there’s no way to say everything I want to without spoiling the book.

I’m not a horror fan, even mildly-spooky things give me the creeps; while this book probably wouldn’t be classed as a horror book, it should win awards for being pretty creepy. All because of one character: Miss Mara Dyer. At the beginning of the novel, Mara has a very traumatic experience, losing her best friend, boyfriend and boyfriend’s sister in an accident. She was there when it happened and was the only survivor; but doesn’t remember any of it. Now Mara’s haunted by the memory of the people she lost. She sees things that shouldn't be there and hears her name being spoken by unknown sources. It’s all a little crazy. I love Mara. She’s got that spark you want to see in main characters; funny, troubled, fights back, cares about unloved dogs. She’s got it all going for her; even if she’s going mental.

Let's face it, top priority in most YA books these days is the guys: The Romance. What can I say about Noah Shaw? Boy wonder, amazingly hot, adorable, funny, swoon-worthy, gentle, sexy. He’s all that and more. He’s also the type of guy you just have to experience for yourself. There’s nothing I could say that would do him justice.

What I loved most about this book was how unpredictable it was to read. You could not guess what was going to happen next, or at least I couldn't. Every page held something new and there was no telling what would pop up around the corner. Mara was unpredictable, Noah was unpredictable, the plot was unpredictable. Nothing and everything made sense, but it was all set out in a strange way, slowly getting pieces of the puzzle fed to you until you think you can put them all together...but you’re wrong. The amount of twists and turns that occur in this book are endless; and I loved it.

I said earlier that I was struggling to put the book into words; it’s not the only thing I struggled with. I have no idea how to classify the book. This is one of those topics that I can’t explain well if I want to keep it spoiler free. With all the craziness flying around – is Mara seeing ghosts? Is she hallucinating? Is anything real? – It made it difficult to determine what category to place the book in. I’m still not sure where I stand on the book’s genre. It was so hard to process. But at the same time I think it made the book better. You can’t settle into a rhythm, you’re always on the edge of your seat.

I loved the ‘Before’ flashbacks; and not just because Mara was unaware of what happened before the accident so, like Mara, we were rediscovering what happened. I loved the glimpse into her life before. We get to see the reasons behind her fragile existence throughout the book, all because of The Accident.

And then the end. What a way to end the book, I may have actually shouted “WHAT?” when I got there. I can’t believe there weren’t more pages left in the book; I wanted so much more. I’m desperate for the next book.

Superb start to what I know will be an amazing series. Can’t wait for the next one.

5/5 stars


Kim
(Originally posted on Goodreads)

Dark Heart Forever - Lee Monroe

Dark Heart Forever (Dark Heart #1)-Lee Monroe
Grade: YA
Rating: 4/5 stars

Jane Jonas is nearing her 16th birthday and troubled by unsettling recurring dreams where the same mysterious boy her age comes to her, telling Jane that they are each other's destiny. Her mother is increasingly anxious about Jane's disruptive sleepwalking episodes, but for Jane her dream world and reality are about to collide ...

When she develops a friendship with an enigmatic stranger in town, the blond, uber-cool Evan, it's exciting, it's new, and Jane wants him more than she's ever wanted anybody - until her mystery dream boy gets in the way.

Now Jane is caught between two worlds: one familiar, but tinged with romance and excitement; the other dark and dangerous, where angels, werewolves, and an irresistible stranger are trying to seduce her ...
~ * ~ * ~

I want to start off by saying that ‘Dark Heart Forever’ was a book I really needed last weekend. I was in the mood for something fun and I didn’t know what to expect from it, but the simplicity of it, the mystery, the romance! It was exactly what I needed and I just adored losing myself in such an enjoyable story.

‘Dark Heart Forever’ is definitely a romance novel. Jane spends a lot of the book trying to work out her feelings for Evan and Luca and boy does she have a tough choice. I have to say I was torn at the start. Luca’s this mysterious dream guy who seems to understand Jane without any effort and who comforts her and makes her feel safe and loved. But Evan’s Australian and also gives Jane shivers with just a look. I’ll admit I was swayed a bit by Evan’s nationality. Got to love an Aussie (or they might kick me out of the country). But Luca is more suited for Jane, and I loved him just a bit more than Evan, especially towards the end. I love that he wasn’t pushy; that he was gentle and kind. And while jealous at times, yes; he was willing to step aside if Jane’s preference was Evan.

I love the worlds Monroe has created; the idea that there are other realms in existence travelling parallel to ours that contain supernatural beings, beings that can travel to the human world at will; it just made things more interesting. I found that even though I wasn’t physically jumping between worlds, Jane and Luca’s favourite spot (the Water Path), had a calming effect on me. It made me feel like I was really there.

I really enjoyed all the opposing scenes throughout the book. We’d see Jane interacting with Luca and notice how free she could be discussing her dreams and the supernatural world; and then be thrown back into the human world with Evan and her family and normal human situations, like dates, shopping and driving lessons. I particularly liked seeing the different “meet the parents” scenes. Evan coming over for lunch and being all charming with Jane’s family followed shortly by Jane’s lunch with Luca’s family. This constant back and forth between the two paths Jane could take made the story really interesting.

My only issue is with the dialogue. At times, the words seemed very formal. I understand why Luca is not with-the-times in terms of slang and relaxed conversation, being that he comes from a world that appears to be a lot more traditional and contained. But Jane, despite her lack of social skills and limited use technology would still have experienced casual conversations, so her falling into a structured speech pattern was a little strange. But not enough to turn me off the story.

Looking forward to seeing what happens to Jane next.

4/5 stars


Kim
(Originally posted on Goodreads)

Blood Bound Giveaway

Giveaway!

ATTENTION: The following giveaway is an ADULT giveaway.

We're feeling like it's time to host another super fantastic giveaway! We set the bar high with our signed copy of Silence last time and, not wanting to disappoint, we've got more signed gifts for ONE lucky Australian.

One of my favourite adult books from last year was Blood Bound by Rachel Vincent. An action-packed read that had both Kerrie and me falling in love with the characters and world, and dying to know what happens next. (See my review of Blood Bound Here!)

Harlequin Australia was kind enough to provide us with a copy of Blood Bound to help spread the Unbound love around Australia.

(Excuse the photo, bad camera day)

I did say this was a signed giveaway. Unfortunately the book isn't signed (I wish!). But we do have something special to add to the winner's prize. Last year Kerrie was lucky enough to receive some signed Shadow Bound postcards from Rachel Vincent herself. Shadow Bound is the sequel to Blood Bound and a book I'm dying to get my hands on; and the cover is equally as fantastic as the Blood Bound cover.

(Again, sorry for the photos. They look better in real life)

So we're giving one lucky winner a ONE paperback copy of Blood Bound by Rachel Vincent and TWO signed postcards!



Details
* One entry per person.
* You must be at least 18 years old or have permission from your parents before entering.
* Must be an Australian resident (sorry international followers)
* Must be a GFC follower and leave following name in the form below.
* The giveaway is open now and will run until 11:59pm (AEST) 15th April 2012
* Winner will be picked by Random.org and announced on the blog.
* Winner will also be emailed and have 1 week to reply before a new winner is picked.
* We are not responsible for lost or damaged property (I'm going to try really hard to protect your book but then I have to trust Australia Post with the rest)

Giveaway now closed.

Thanks for entering.

Good luck!

 Kim & Kerrie