January 2016 Wrap Up

Hello Again, so this month i have read XX amount of books, i did deviate from my TBR i semi completed it i read XX/20 and i read quite a few non planned books so lets start in the order i read them because that is the order i have them written in and i have already review most of these so this will just be a list and i will link a review if there is one or i will explain why there isn't ....

(Just a quick note in the UK we write out date --- Day/Month/Year)

The Way You Look Tonight - Bella Andre - Kindle - (4/1/16 -- 4/1/16)

Review (Series Review)

It Must Be Your Love - Bella Andre - Kindle - (4/1/16 -- 4/1/16)

Review (Series Review) 

Just To Be With You - Bella Andre - Kindle (4/1/16 -- 4/1/16)

Review (Series Review)

I Love How You Love Me - Bella Andre - Kindle - (4/1/16 -- 5/1/16)

Review (Series Review)

All I Ever Need Is You - Bella Andre - Kindle - (5/1/16 -- 6/1/16)

Review (Series Review)

Carry On - Rainbow Rowell - Hardback - (26/12/15 -- 11/1/16)

Review

Dominic - L.A Casey - Kindle - (11/1/16 -- 12/1/16)

Review

Alec - L.A Casey - Kindle - (12/1/16 -- 12/1/16)

Review

Bronagh - L.A Casey - Kindle - (13/1/16 -- 13/1/16)

Review

Keela - L.A Casey - Kindle - (13/1/16 -- 13/1/16)

Review

Kane - L.A Casey - Kindle - (13/1/16 -- 14/1/16)

Review

Aideen - L.A Casey - Kindle - (14/1/16 -- 14/1/16)
Review

See How They Run - Ally Carter - Paperback - (14/1/16 -- 15/1/16)
Review

Pride & Prejudice & Zombies - Seth Grahame-Smith & Jane Austen
Review 

The Back Moon - Winston Graham - Paperback - ( Dec 2015 -- 19/1/16) 

No Review because i am doing a full series review for this when i have read the whole series in a couple of months. I am a bit unsure about this book it started of very slow for me but it did get better so that why i gave it...

The Book Of Ivy - Amy Engle - Paperback - (19/1/16 -- 19/1/16) 
Review

Young Bess - Margaret Irwin - Paperback - (20/1/16 -- 20/1/16)
Review

And Then There Were None - Agatha Christie - Paperback - (20/1/16 -- 21/1/16)
Review
 

The Four Swans - Winston Graham - Paperback - (23/1/16 -- 25/1/16)

Again like The Black Moon I am waiting to read the whole series and do a series review since there are so many books it just seems easier to do it all in one place. I really enjoyed this book it was probably one of my favourites in this series so far. so that is why it gets ...

The Raven Boys - Maggie Stiefvater - Paperback - (25/1/16 -- 25/1/16)

Review of this Will be posted on February 1st 2016 but until then just know i loved this book so much and i cannot wait to read the rest of the series.

Built - Jay Crownover - Kindle - (26/1/16 -- 26/1/16)
Review


So i still have some more books to add well at least one i will update when i do. 

Until Next Time

Happy Reading

Built - Jay Crownover Spoiler Free Reivew

Title - Built
Author - Jay Crownover
Series - Saints of Denver #1
ISBN - 9780008116231
Genre - New Adult
My Copy - Purchased
Format - Paperback
Where You Can Find It - Goodreads - Waterstones - Barnes & Noble - Book Depository - Amazon UK - Amazon US

Built is the first book in a spin off series from The Marked Men series i have a full Non-Spoiler review for that just in case you want to read that series before this one to me it didn't really matter but it might help clear some things up. 

Sayer's is frozen inside, at least that's what people have told her in the past, she is yet to let anyone actually past her icy exterior - and the one guy she think could do just that would not be interested in someone so uptight. 
Gorgeous Zeb Fuller is Sayer's type flipped upside down, she normally goes for men like her with no emotion and clean cut, but Zeb is none of those things he looks like her could chop down a tree in one swipe, but she is starting to believe maybe that's what she wants.
Just as things finally start to heat up, Zeb's past comes back to haunt him and he needs Sayer's professional help to right a wrong and save two people in the process. Can these opposites actually attract and fight for the life they both deserve after having so many wrongs in their lives can this finally be a right?. 

OK i have only one complaint about this book and i will leave that for the bottom section because its a bit of a spoiler for The Marked Men Series. I loved this book i really did, it was different from a lot of books where the male is normally the emotionally cut off one and the female is trying to get them over it, but this was the other way around and that for me was strange at first like i remember writing "she's comparing herself to an ice sculpture surely she cant think of herself like that." but she really does and its up to Zeb to change her, i honestly had no idea where this book was going i knew where it would end up because all New Adult books pretty much end the same way but the middle and certain story lines had me really surprised and i really liked have the different POV'S because then you got to see the differences between them and the dynamic in their heads.
As characters go, they were pretty much about perfect i mean there is always something as a reader you would like to change but right not i think if i would make any changes it would ruin the book, for me it was so nice to finally read a New Adult heroine that wasn't warm and fuzzy but was quite shut off for everything, but the people she truly loved, like her family and Poppy, and Zeb was so perfect he was understanding and he didn't balk at some responsibilities laid on him unlike so many others, and to see a male protagonist change his life and that of the people his life will affect. (I'm trying not to be spoiling anyone but i think people might be getting the gist of what's going on.)
So onto the part i didn't like, i know this is a new story, in a new series but i do wish we had some more of the Marked Men in it we pretty much only had Rowdy (Sayer's Brother) and Rome but i just wished we saw some more because the interactions were some of the best scenes in the book. 
I feel like one of these books has to be about Poppy because she has grown so much especially in this book, i think for Poppy's story you probably should read Rowdy in the Marked Men Series because that tells you everything, but it was so good seeing her grow and become more confident as the book went on. 
I cannot wait for the next book in this series Jay Crownover has got a way with words that make you want to read more and more she is one of those author that writes characters that draw you in have you hooked and so invested in them and their stories. I gave this book 5 stars because i loved every minute of it and i want more now

The Next Book In This Series is .... Charged and it is about Avette and Quaid 
I cant wait we saw a little of them in this book and it looked a very interesting set up very different than Sayer and Zeb so i am now patiently waiting........... 
Bring on May 24th 

Until Next Time

Happy Reading

January 2016 Book Haul

Hello Everybody, so this month i have acquired 22 books over the month of January and the last week of December, i am not going to say anything about the books because otherwise this will be a very long post but i will link each on to its goodreads and review if i have done one.

Key - 
Purple - Physical Book
Blue - Kindle

GR - Goodreads 
** - Review  

So Lets start with the Two i got in the last week of December

Jane Austen Seven Novels Barnes & Noble Edition (GR)
Poldark Country Adult Colouring book (GR)

Now The January Pre-Orders 

The Queen's Choice - Anne O'Brien (GR)
See How They Run - Ally Carter (GR) **
Built - Jay Crownover (GR)
Beautiful Burn - Jamie McGuire (released on the 31st of January preorder) (GR)

Kindle Books 

Dominic - L.A Casey (GR) **
Alec - L.A Casey (GR) **
Kane - L.A Casey (GR) **
Bronagh - L.A Casey (GR) **
Keela - L.A Casey (GR) **
Aideen - L.A Casey (GR) **
Northanger Abby - Jane Austen (GR)
The Book of Ivy - Amy Engel (GR)**
Built - Jay Crownover (see the other copy i got in physical books, mainly because I'm impatient and the kindle book came out on the 5th and the PC came out on the 28th) 

Physical Books

The Angry Tide - Winston Graham (GR)
The Stranger From The Sea - Winston Graham (GR)
The Millers Dance - Winston Graham (GR)
Pride & Prejudice & Zombies - Seth Grahame-Smith & Jane Austen (GR) **

And Then There Were None - Agatha Christie (GR) **
Harry Potter Colouring Book (GR)
My Life Next Door - Huntley Fitzpatrick (GR)

Until Next Time

Happy Reading

Thats What He Said Thursday's - Nate Finlay - 28th January 2016

So That's What He Said Thursdays was Created by Chapter Break and it is pretty much just a appreciation post for your favourite Male Protagonist's quotes to his girl. 

Another Rosemary Beach guy this week but the book these quotes are from is actually the last Sea Breeze Book Until the End i didn't understand this when i first read it but after i read the rosemary beach series the month after i screamed that i need the book that she says she is going to write a few years after she finishes Rosemary Beach.

Nate Finlay

Rosemary Beach - Abbi Glines

(Quotes From Until The End - Abbi Glines)

 

" Hey. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to laugh. You're just really cute with the blushing and stuff."

" Ah, C'mon, Bliss York. Look at me again, i didn't mean to laugh, but you make me. I cant help it"

 "Okay. Maybe I'll see you again, Bliss York"

Until Next Time

Happy Reading 

Top 5 Wednesday - Disappointing Eye Candy - 27th January 2016

Hello again, so i say I'm going to be doing T5W every week and then i go and miss two in a row so now i am saying i am at least going to do 2 a month. so this week is all about beautiful books that had not so beautiful stories inside.

5. Boundless - Cynthia Hand

This cover is so beautiful, but the ending, just ruined everything, it is the last book in a series and i literally hated the ending.

4. The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern

I love this cover and i will keep giving this book a try because of the cover but i couldn't get past 20 pages on this book i just didn't feel the story and i couldn't force myself to read it. 

 

3. The Luxe - Anna Godbersen

Like The Night Circus i couldn't finish this book, but on this one i again didn't like the story and also i couldn't connect to the characters. Not to mention i was spoiled and what i read also put me off.

 

2. Hidden - P.C & Kristen Cast

I love the UK covers for these books not the black ones but the colour full ones and i think the books from 5-11 let the series down completely the last book thankfully redeemed it so i could have chosen any of those 6 books but i chose my favourite cover.

1. The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August - Claire North

This book had such a good premise and start but it just went down hill so much that i just tuned out what i was reading and just ploughed through it without really taking anything in. But the cover is so beautiful and i just love it. 

Top 5 Wednesday was created by GingerReadsLainey

Here is the goodreads page

Here is the full list of participants - Wednesday-Ers

Until Next Time

Happy Reading

Young Bess - Margaret Irwin -- Spoiler Free Review

Title - Young Bess
Author - Margaret Irwin
Series - The Elizabeth Trilogy/Good Queen Bess
ISBN - 9780749012427
Page Count - 393 Pages
Genre - Adult > Historical Fiction
My Copy - Purchased
Format - Paperback
Where You Can Find It? - Goodreads - Waterstones - Barnes & Noble - Book Depository - Amazon UK - Amazon US

Young Bess centres around Elizabeth  I (Tudor) from a young age and growing up in court and out, falling in love and dealing with the repercussions of that act. She must navigate a world where everyone thinks her mother a witch and a whore, and is commonly known as the Little Bastard and her strained relationship with her father makes sense for who she falls in love with for the rest of her life. Bess is one of those characters you will either hate to love or love to hate she is such a rotten, jealous, evil child at some points and she will have you somewhat hating the main character of this book, Irwin's writing is a perfect example of well written Historical Fiction Novel. 

So Young Bess was one of those books that i literally didn't get into to start with but then about 50 pages in i was hooked it creeps up on you slowly but sometimes that is an amazing thing because before you know it you have finished it and you want to read the next book as soon as possible i love books that have a timeless feel to them books that you cannot tell when they have been written by the dialogue used or the way the author writes i knew when reading this book that it was published in 1939 but you cant tell and that is the sign of a truly good author and book. 

Young Bess was told in the 3rd person so it was a little different than most books i have read about Bess but it was actually a really good way of telling the story that way even thought we mainly saw Elizabeth we did occasionally get some other characters on their own. I really didn't like Bess' character at all i feel like she will grow up in the next books but in this one she was acting like a jealous 3 year old at 15 and she was such a bitchy bully to Jane Grey and many other characters. 

All i am going to say about Thomas Seymour is he was a complete and utter idiot (No spoilers, but c'mon its history) and he would have been considered a paedophile in today's society because he was not forced to marry her like so many others have been but he chose to do what he did. (or didn't do, historical people don't kill me). 

Not much was mentioned about Mary Tudor or Anne Boleyn apart from whispers of Nan Bullen (i had to google that one) but personally i think she was very much influenced by her mother and i think she would have been more curious about her and she was hardly mentioned. Also Mary we didn't get much of her either but i think we will be getting a lot more of her in the next two books so I'm not to worried about that but that was my only qualm was i really wanted a more curious Elizabeth about her mother and whether she was really guilty. 

I finished this book so quickly it was unreal once i started i couldn't stop it had so many elements, as i have said before that make this a brilliant historical fiction novel and it has become one of my favourites and i cannot wait to read the next book next month (FEB 2016) and also review it. 

Until Next Time

Happy Reading

Author Appreciation -- Ally Carter

Ally Carter

Full Name - Sarah Leigh Fogleman 
Pen Name - Ally Carter
Date of Birth - 1st January 1974
Birthplace - Oklahoma US
Genre - Chick-Lit / Young Adult
Website - X 
Twitter - OfficiallyAlly
Facebook - theallycarter
Instagram -  theallycarter
Goodreads - X
Wikipedia - X

Info

(from her own blog, since personally if the person has done it already you are never going to get better then the persons own telling) 

I was born and raised in Oklahoma.  My mother was a teacher and my father a farmer and rancher.  I have one older sister.
In high school, I was very active in a number of student organisations and graduated as co-valedictorian of my senior class.  I then attended Oklahoma State University and Cornell University and worked for several years in the agricultural industry before writing full-time.
My first novel, Cheating at Solitaire (Berkley) was published in 2005.  The following year I published the sequel to Solitaire, Learning to Play Gin.  There are no more plans for future books in that series at this time.
My first novel for young adults, I’d Tell You I Love You but Then I’d Have to Kill You was published by Disney-Hyperion in April 2006.  Love You Kill You (as we call it) was followed by Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy (October 2007), Don’t Judge a Girl By Her Cover (June 2009), Only the Good Spy Young (June 2010), Out of Sight, Out of Time (March 2012).  United We Spy (September 2013) is the sixth–and final–Gallagher Girls novel.
I am also the author of Heist Society (February 2010) and its sequels Uncommon Criminals (June 2011), and Perfect Scoundrels (February 2013).
In January 2013 I published the cross-over novella Double-Crossed that features characters from both the Gallagher Girls and Heist Society. It is available for free at spiesandthieves.com and wherever ebooks are sold.
ALL FALL DOWN is the first book in my new Embassy Row series. It was published on January 20, 2015 and will launch a new three-book series with Scholastic.
My books have been published in more than twenty countries and have appeared on best-seller lists from the New York Times, USA Today, the Wall Street Journal, Barnes and Noble, IndieBound, and Bookscan. They have sold over two million copies in the United States.
I am one of the luckiest people in the world, and today, I’m able to do the job I wanted to do when I was a kid, and I am back living in Oklahoma.

 Published Books

Gallagher Girls 

I'd Tell You I Love You, But I'd Have To Kill You
Cross My Heart and Hope To Spy
Don't Judge A Girl by Her Cover
Only The Good Spy Young
Out of Sight, Out of Time
United We Spy

Heist Society

Heist Society
Uncommon Criminals
Perfect Scoundrels

Embassy Row

All Fall Down
See How They Run

Why I Love This Author

Carter's Books are so addicting and she writes such strong female heroines. Cammi, Kat and Grace are all role models in their own way they also have weaknesses that make them human not to mention they don't rely on the men in their life they kick-ass

The way Carter writes her books will have you smiling, laughing, crying, gasping and it will have you coming back for more and more. 

Ally is so interactive with her fans on social media and is such a nice person. A lot of people stop reading the Gallagher Girl series after the first book but i can promise you the series gets 100 times better after that and the same with the other series she has written as well. 

Current Reviews

All Fall Down 
See How They Run

Until Next Time
Happy Reading

And Then There Were None - Agatha Christie

Title - And Then There Were None
Author - Agatha Christie
ISBN - 9780007136834
Genre - Adult > Thriller > Mystery
My Copy - Purchased
Format - Paperback
Where You Can Find It - Goodreads - Waterstones - Barnes & Noble - Book Depository - Amazon UK - Amazon US

10 strangers invited to Solider Island, all accused of murder that no one can prove and one by one they are being hunted all of the murders follow the same rhyme, will they find out who the murderer is before the rhyme is complete and can they get of the island that seems to only have them on it?

I didn't do a long synopsis for this because you cant without spoiling the entire book and the ending i already knew because i watched the TV show before i read the book, but it was still a thrill to read and i will be reading some more Agatha Christie books now i think if you haven't read any of her books this is a good start to it because its short, full of suspense, and intrigue. Please, please, please give this book a go it was so quick and entertaining and at times creepy but other than that it will be one of my favourite books of the year.

The rhyme that was talking about that was a little creepy and the killer used has 3 different versions...

The original English version 

Ten Little N**** boys 

The American version 

Ten Little Indian Boys

And now the modern version is 

Ten Little Soldier Boys

Until Next Time

Happy Reading

The Book Of Ivy - Amy Engel - Spoiler Free Review

Title - The Book of Ivy
Author - Amy Engel
Series - The Book of Ivy Duology #1
ISBN - 9781622664658
Genre - YA > Dystopian
My Copy - Purchased
Format - Kindle
Where You Can Find It - Goodreads - Waterstones - Barnes & Noble - Book Depository - Amazon UK - Amazon US

After a war and now a plague that allows only "young" people to conceive a marriage law is in place, now at 16 Ivy Westfall must marry but she isn't marrying someone who is her "perfect match" like everyone else she is marrying the President's son Bishop Lattimer. All because she is a decedent from the Founder of their town (Westfall) and also the granddaughter of the leader in the loser side of the war, so she must marry him so that their families can be united and another civil war will not brake out.

Ivy only has one objective to avenge her mother and make her father the ruler like he and her grandfather were meant to be, but one thing stands in her way Bishop. He is different than she imagined he is kind and caring, will she go through what her family have had planned for years or will Bishop worm his way into her heart. Ivy will have to choose Family or Love? Who will she protect? if she can only choose one? 

I demolished this book, i read it in a couple of hours once i started i couldn't stop and i really want to read the conclusion to this duology but i have deviated from my TBR enough this month so i will be reading it next month. I first heard about this book back in 2014 from Kassidy Voinche on YouTube and i really liked the sound of it but then i forgot about it, so when i saw it in the kindle store i brought it straight away. i am so glad i did probably one of my favourite dystopians that i have read. 

I rarely read Dystopian anymore since they always have the same story line but this was different i hadn't heard a book like it in the Dystopian Genre (if you have comment down below) and it wasn't as predictable as i thought it was going to be i was still shocked at some parts that i thought i knew what was going to happen and the complete opposite happened. Ivy and Bishop's relationship was one i very quickly shipped even though they didn't even ship themselves, it seemed at every corner there was someone "bad" trying to ruin everything from Ivy's Family to Bishop's Mother and at times it seemed like there was only 4 characters in the entire book that had their head screwed on right. 

I loved The Book of Ivy and Amy Engel's writing style, i cannot wait to read more from this author. 

Until Next Time

Happy Reading

Pride And Prejudice And Zombie - Seth Grahame-Smith & Jane Austen - Spoiler Free

Title - Pride & Prejudice & Zombies
Author's - Seth Grahame-Smith & Jane Austen
ISBN - 9781594743344
Genre - Horror
My Copy - Purchased
Format - Paperback
Where You Can Find It - Goodreads - Waterstones - Barnes & Noble - Book Depository - Amazon UK - Amazon US

Pride And Prejudice And Zombie's very much keeps the the amazing original story line but with zombies eating cauliflower thinking they are brains, a zombie plague has taken over the world and the Bennet sister are the protectors of there home but things get shaken up when a Mr Bingley and a Mr Darcy show up. If you love the original book you will also like this because it has all of your Favourite and not so favourite characters but they are just more Bad-Ass

I have mixed views on this book, i liked it but there were some parts i found to be lacking something, some interaction, some fighting ECT.... . It had the romance and the core story of Pride and Prejudice and it all was the same but some characters had very different ending and certain character got their comeuppance that they didn't get in the original novel. Elizabeth was as witty and charming as ever and Mr Darcy was as brooding and Proud and Bad-Ass as ever i think the only character i didn't care much for in this version was Mr Bingley, in P&P & zombies they made him weak stomached and i just couldn't see how he and a warrior like Darcy could ever be friends but other then that i loved all of the character changes and also the illustration's inside were so good. 

Personally i think there wasn't so much change that it ruined the book but it also didn't make it any better either it was on par with Austen's original book and with stories like this where they take a classic loved by millions and not butcher the true story i must congratulate Grahame-Smith for making a book that will hopefully get a wider range of readers than P&P might get because it is a Romance Classic

Until Next Time

Happy Reading