Bookhi

Blog Tour: Beat the Band by Don Calame - Guest Post.

2012-02-22T06:36:00.000-08:00

I loved reading Beat the Band, it has been one of my favourite stories this year. You can read my review here. His writing is really funny, witty and gripping - I hope you agree in this guest post by him:

Writing Life

People often ask me, “What’s it like to be a writer?”

Well, let me explain what it’s been like to try to start writing this blog. I have now spent the better part of the last twenty minutes writing and deleting my opening paragraph. In fact, I’m very tempted to highlight and delete this paragraph, too.

Maybe it comes effortlessly for others. The words pouring out, forming an endless stream of clever sentences. But I seriously doubt it. For me, anyway, writing is often torturous. And frustrating. And discouraging. It’s a never-ending struggle to try to get my thoughts and ideas out of my head and down on paper. Or, in this case, on to a computer screen.

That’s not to say it doesn’t have it’s upside. There are moments when the ideas do flow easily and I make myself laugh, or cry, or smile. And it’s those moments that keep me coming back to the page. Like the golfer who hacks his way through the links—constantly sending his ball into the sand trap or into the drink—yet every once in a while hits that perfect shot that makes it all worth it.

I’m not sure I’ve got that quite right—and I should probably hit the delete button once again— but I’m going to soldier on because sometimes you have to plow ahead just to see where something leads. I can always go back and edit this—in fact, I am always rereading and editing myself as I write, just as I’ve already gone back over the last several paragraphs in this blog to rework certain things.

Multiple times.

Because it’s never perfect. You can always make something better. No matter how many times you go over it. And over it. And over it. In fact, even when I reread certain passages from my published books I’m thinking Oh, I could have written that sentence better or I shouldn’t have used that word so many times.

All this is to say that writing is work. And if you have the desire to write you need to know that going in. There is no “waiting for the muse” to strike. Or needing the perfect place and utensils to write. You just have to get to it. However you get to it. And then you need to do that the next day, and the next, and the next. Until you’re finished with whatever it is you’re working on. Because if you’re waiting for that perfect setting, that perfect cup of coffee, that perfect notebook, that perfect time, it’s never going to come.

I want to thank Don Calame for being on my blog today! Catch the next stop of the blog tour at Once Upon A Bookcase.

Zoe xx

Extreme Kissing by Luisa Plaja

2012-02-21T09:12:00.000-08:00

Carlota and Bethany are best friends. Bethany is the sensible one with a long-term boyfriend, Carlota is the crazy one with a wild past and rebellious nature. All is fine in their world - apart from Carlota hating her stepdad and longing for a old flame. And apart from Bethany thinking her boyfriend is about to dump her and that her period is late...Carlota comes up with a plan to put all their troubles behind them and go on a girls-only wild day out, with only their favourite magazine to guide them through the day. If they open it on a fashion page they have to get hold of a fabulous new outfit and pretend to be models. If they open it to a page on snogging, they have to find a boy to snog. The magazine will take them everywhere they need to go - but will it help them to reveal the secrets they are keeping from each other?

I love Luisa Plaja's books, and I couldn't wait to start reading this book. It definitely lived up to my expectations! It is FANTASTIC!

Carlota is a troublesome girl who is crazy about her ex-boyfriend, and her best friend Bethany is sensible and constantly studying for GCSEs. To escape from all their worries and stressful problems, Carlota suggests to do a spontaneous trip to London - Extreme Travelling. They bring their favourite magazine, Teen Spice!, with them to take them on many adventures they will never forget. They pick a page at random and do a challenge associated with that page. For example, if it is 'Tips On Snogging' then they would have to snog two strangers by the end of the day. These challenges result is laughter, tears and consequences which had me reading all night.

I think the character differences mixed well. Opposites attract, right? Even though there are quite a few characters in this book, they all have an important role of which the story wouldn't be the same without them. I find books confusing and boring if pointless characters turn up with no personality. However, that is not the case with this book - I have a hard time choosing my favourite character!

I like how in all of LP's books we get to see the story from different peoples perspectives. Even though the two girls are keeping secrets from each other, we know how much it is killing them not to talk about.

The ending is totally unexpected. At the beginning I thought that this is going to be the typical friendship book: they break up, they make up. Towards the end it is totally unpredictable: where does the author get her ideas from?! :)

I can't recommend this enough! Read this story (or any of LP's books for that matter) if you like cute, funny, snogtastic reads. Luisa Plaja is one of my favourite authors and I am sure I speak for many.

RATE: 5/5

Publisher: Corgi

Publication date: 2nd April 2009

Pages: 327

Edition: Paperback

Source: For Review
To buy this book click HERE.

Discussion: Where Do You Read?

2012-02-20T12:21:00.000-08:00

First of all, sorry for not posting in a week! :-/ Exams have been controlling me lately and I have also been ill for the past few days. Anyway, I have a whole week off school (yay!) so I am going to make the most of extra reading and blogging time...

One of my new years resolutions is to do more discussion posts. This one will be about places I read. I read anywhere and everywhere. When it is not during holidays I have less time to read so I manage to squeeze in as much as possible; even if it means just before bed, sneaking it under the table in maths or travelling...

In my bed

I have stolen this picture and the next

from Books are a Girl's Best Friend 's

post on their favourite places. I hope

that's ok with Stephanie :-)

This is where I usually read, and where I get most of my reading done. I have a little reading light, like the one in the picture, which is very helpful! Sometimes I wake up with a book on top of my face, so it isn't always the best place... XD

awwww!

wow.

swinging bed - reading with a twist...

On the bus

I get the bus everyday to school so I have a chance to read for 20 minutes in that time. It helps quite a bit to my reading time and surprisingly I don't feel sick on the journeys... :D

In the bath

This is always a risk for me as I am always worried about dropping my book in the bath! However, it is really relaxing and I love it. I can concentrate more and (when I have time) it is a great place to read.

On my chair/sofa

I don't own any of the really cool ones below, but I love curling up on the sofa. Set the scene: toasty fire, comfy armchair, cosy blanket and a book...bliss....

I WANT THIS!

Reading light already built in!

A handy way to store books!

A hidden bookshelf....

Outside
At the beach

I love reading on the beach; it is one of the awesome things of going on holiday. iPod blasting, sun shining, book in hand = good times! :D

In a hammock

When my family and I went to Spain last year, I spent most of my reading time in the hammock by the pool! It was surprisingly comfy. XD

Sitting outside

Outside surrounded by nature is another great way to read. It is so peaceful with no distractions. I rarely do this, but when I do I find it really relaxing.

Up/next to a tree

Despite only reading up a tree once, it was really fun! If you find a good position it can be a really nice to sit outside in the summer. I got some strange looks in the park but ah well! ;D

Where do you like to read? Why? Where do you not like to read? Comment and let me know!

Fiction Express: Falling Backwards: Chapter 11

2012-02-13T12:51:00.000-08:00

**Fiction Express is an e-fiction site where each chapter is released every Friday. When you have read that chapter, you can vote to what happens next! The first chapter is for free, and the next ten chapters are from 39p. I recommend the site 100% and I suggest you check out the brilliant books they have on offer. Please be aware that my review may have spoilers.**

Writing competition for teens - Writing the Riots

2012-02-12T11:41:00.000-08:00

Booktrust have put together a writing competition for 13-17 year olds based around the UK's riots last summer.

The Prize:
The winner will win a day at Random House Children's Books with author Bali Rai. Learn all about the secrets of the publishing world, how a book is bought and edited, marketed and sold and have lunch with Bali and his editor. Plus win a complete signed set of Bali’s books and have your story published on the Booktrust website.

Three runners-up will receive a complete signed set of Bali’s books and your story published on the Booktrust website.

What You Have To Do:

In no more than 500 words, write a short story based on the UK riots last summer. Did you know anyone involved in the riots or affected by them? Why do you think they started? Did they affect your community? Do you think they will happen again? In no more than 500 words, write a short story based on the UK riots last summer.

Terms & Conditions:

• Entry deadline is 26 March 2012

• A panel of judges including Bali Rai will select the best short story and three runners-up

• The organisers will not be responsible for the loss of or damage to any entries
• Entries will not be returned
• All entrants should be UK residents between 13 and 17 years of age
• The winner and runners-up will be notified by email during the week commencing 2 April 2012
• No cash alternative to the prize will be offered
• Entries must be written in English and your own work
• Joint entries will not be eligible
• Entries that exceed the maximum word count will not be judged
• The judges’ decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into
• Organisers reserve the right to inform the media of all results. Winners agree to take part in publicity
• All agreed travel expenses will be paid for by the organisers
• The winner must be accompanied to the publishing house by a parent or guardian
• Winning short stories will be published on http://www.booktrust.org.uk/

Sounds good to me! I would love to spend the day at Random House and see how publishing works. I have also looked at Bali Rai's books and they look AMAZING! I particularly like the sound of this one:

The Whisper

The Crew didn't think things could ever get that bad again. They were seriously wrong.

Things have calmed down for the Crew (Billy, Ellie, Della, Jas and Will) and life in the Ghetto is ticking on as usual. But things are about to kick-off all over again. The police have launched Operation Clean-up and dealers are regularly being pulled off the street and into the police station. Someone's got to be grassing them up, and soon Nanny and the Crew are getting blamed. Billy is mugged, Ellie is picked on in school, and Billy's house is being targeted. The Crew need to find out who's pointing the finger before things get really serious.

TO ENTER AND FOR MORE INFORMATION CLICK HERE!

In My Mailbox #25

2012-02-12T11:33:00.000-08:00

IMM is hosted by The Story Siren. It is a weekly meme where bloggers can take part to show what books they have received this week.

Bought-

Almost True by Keren David
This has been on my wishlist for.... um... lost count! Ever since I have read When I Was Joe I have wanted to read more. I can't wait to read this!

For review-

The First Day of Sun by Sheryl Staines

Thank you so much to the author and her publicist for sending me this to review. It sounds brilliant, I have had a look at some of the other reviews and they are all really positive.....

What books have you received this week? Zoe xx

Significance #1 by Shelly Crane

2012-02-11T07:46:00.000-08:00

Synopsis: Maggie is a seventeen year old girl who's had a bad year. She was smart and on track but then her mom left, her dad is depressed, she's graduating, barely, and her boyfriend of almost three years dumped her for a college football schalorship. Lately she thinks life is all about hanging on by a thread and is gripping tight with everything she has. Then she meets Caleb. She saves his life and instantly knows there's something about him that's intriguing but she is supposed to be on her way to a date with his cousin. But things change when they touch, sparks ignite. Literally. They imprint with each other and she sees their future life together flash before her eyes. She learns that not only is she his soul mate, and can feel his heartbeat in her chest, but there is a whole other world of people with gifts and abilities that she never knew existed. She herself is experiencing supernatural changes unlike anything she's ever felt before and she needs the touch of his skin to survive. Now, not only has her dad come out of his depression to be a father again, and a pain as well, but Caleb's enemies know he's imprinted and are after Maggie to stop them both from gaining their abilities and take her from him. Can Caleb save her or will they be forced to live without each other after just finding one another?

Review:

Significance is a unique love story that will make you laugh, cry and stay up all night reading. I really recommend this to anyone who loves cute love stories, supernatural powers or just an addictive read. It deals with jealousy, friendship, loss and heart-thumping twists.

Maggie is a typical teen - the book begins with her walking along with dismay thinking about her boyfriend abruptly dumping her after three years. Suddenly, her life changes in a matter of minutes.
She sees a boy about to cross the road. A car is coming. She doesn't hesitate. She runs over, pulling him backwards. He lands on top of her. Their eyes meet. He smiles.
After feeling an instant connection, she learns that Caleb is more than just a little crush. They are soul mates - literally. She learns that they are signficants and are imprinted for life. However, this book is more than just happily-ever-after love. Her boy best friend is in love with her, the enemies of Caleb's family is hunting her down and her Dad is suffering with grief after her Mum has left.

I absolutely adored this book, everyone should read it! I found this a new, different refreshing love story that has easily made its way to my favourite list.

My only criticisms is that I thought a bit more could have happened. For instance, a few twists occurred that made me 'OMG', but perhaps more than just being beautiful and happy. It would have probably been a bit hard to do this, as Caleb can feel when there is something wrong with Maggie, but I just thought more cliff-hangers would have worked.

Anyway, that is a very small, picky point I have made! Overall, I loved this book and I am now dying for the sequel. No, make that sequels.

RATE: 4.5/5

Publisher: Self

Publication date: 12th June 2011

Pages: 388

Edition: E-book

Source: For Review
To buy this book click HERE.

PS. Today on Love Month at Fluttering Butterflies I am posting about my favourite love stories. Let me know what you think! =)
http://www.flutteringbutterflies.com/2012/02/my-five-favourite-love-stories-by-zoe.html

Cover Crazy: Sarah Dessen covers

2012-02-09T10:39:00.000-08:00

**Welcome to Cover Crazy! This is a feature on Bookhi that focuses on nothing but book covers. Most people judge books by their covers, even without realising; it might not catch their eye or appeal to their reading preference. I will post about new releases, beautiful covers, UK vs US and pretty much anything that takes my fancy to do with them.**

I just realised the other day - I haven't done a Cover Crazy for ages! So, here is the first CC post of 2012 where I want to share with the beauty of Sarah Dessen's book covers.

I love them so much; there are many varieties but I think they are all really pretty. Here are a few examples:

What do you think? Personally, I really like them. My favourites are the collage ones (the last two). They are really eye catching and stick to a certain colour theme. I like how (more in Lock & Key) the images from certain parts of the book make up one big image.

The first picture of the group of covers are also cute. I love the simplicity of them (also like the collages in some ways...) and how the photos/illustration is positioned. I don't usually like models on covers (you can see my post about models on covers here) but these work quite well. I especially like the bottom left picture (I am so short-sighted... I can't read the title :P) because it is so significant and plain.

Please comment below your opinions of Sarah Dessen's covers! Do they appeal to you? Which one do you like the best? If you have read her books, are the covers as good/bad as the story? Share.....
:-)

Zoe xx

Fiction Express: Falling Backwards: Chapter 9 + 10

2012-02-03T08:38:00.000-08:00

When a stranger takes the seat next to Leah on the plane to Mexico and unburdens her unhappy story, Leah finds herself involved in someone else's life in a way she'd never thought possible. Can Leah help April correct the mistakes of her past and find peace at last? Will she risk losing herself in the process?

Previous Reviews:
Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 |

Chapter 9
This is probably the best chapter yet! Chapter 8 ended on such a big cliff-hanger I had no idea what was going to happen. Leah finally realises that her mission of going back in time in April's body is to save Efrain - but whom or what from? At first she believes it is from the wrong girl, but then Rosa informs her that it is something much, much bigger than that. The pace of the story begins to pick up at the end, and when the chapter ended I actually forgot I was reading a story!

Chapter 10
Right, correction: this is the best chapter yet! I love everything about it, especially the relationship she had with other characters. Her and Efrain's romance made me 'awww!' out loud, and she has become a lot closer with her friends. Just as I began to think that it could be the perfect happy ending, Leah's realisation suddenly struck me: she is living April's life - won't she have to go back to 2011? Will the grown-up April have taken her place? If she does go back, won't she and Efrain have to depart without him knowing? Will she ever get back?! I know the answer but I still have questions.... next Friday won't come fast enough!! :D

Zoe xx

Beat The Band by Don Calame

2012-02-03T07:35:00.000-08:00

Synopsis:

'Who gets more girls than a rock god? No one.' In the hotly-awaited sequel to the hysterical Swim the Fly, Coop finds himself partnered with social outcast 'Hot Dog' Helen for a class project on safe sex. Desperate to find a way of saving his rep, Coop decides that winning the school Battle of the Bands contest is the perfect solution. Surely the small fact that neither he nor his best friends, Sean and Matt, can actually play an instrument will stop them achieving rock-and-roll awesomeness...

Review:

This book is hilarious, riveting and fun involving characters I will never forget. I am definitely going to be looking out for the prequel, Swim the Fly, which I have heard is ten times funnier!

Beat the Band revolves around the three trouble-causing teenagers: Coop, Sean and Matt. When Coop gets paired up with the most repulsive social outcast, 'Hot Dog' Helen, he has to do something to keep his reputation (or what he has of it). Rumours are getting worse and worse, so he must act fast.

From the first sentence I didn't think I would like Coop. I thought he was a bit obnoxious, selfish and the kind of boy in my school that I can't stand. "Oh," I thought "if I don't like the main character, the chances of me liking this book aren't very high." However, as I kept on reading I couldn't help but be amused by his way of interpreting problems and how he comically deals with things. I loved seeing his character change throughout the book. And the ending is just perfect!

There are some moments in this book where I LOL. Are there any film producers out there reading this? Because this book would make a brilliant movie!

My favourite character in the book has to be Helen. I feel so sorry for her at times, and felt I could really see the story from all the characters point of views, but especially hers. She is dedicated and unselfish and I thought she is admirable putting up with bullying and Coop's behaviour. Helen is the kind of girl who just deals with the truth and doesn't dwell the past.

A lot of things happen in this book that makes it worthwhile, but I won't give anything away because that would spoil it for you. I strongly recommend this to everyone above 13 years old, as it involves a lot of sexual references. Please read this book now so I can talk to someone about how amazing it is! I have edited this review so many times because I have accidentally put spoilers in. Basically, read it! ;D

RATE: 5/5

Publisher: Templar

Publication date: 1st February 2012

Pages: 432

Edition: Paperback (ARC)

Source: For Review
To buy this book click HERE.

In My Mailbox #24

2012-01-29T07:25:00.000-08:00

IMM is hosted by The Story Siren.

For Review-

The Dirt by Lori Culwell

This book looks really good. If you don't know already, I did an interview with Lori Culwell a few days ago which made me even more excited to read this! You can read her answers here.

Won-

Mary Hooper Poster

Haunted Violet Tote Bag

Between by Jessica Waeman

I won this from one of my favourite book blogs, The Mile Long Bookshelf! I was so excited when I opened

the package. I love them, and I think the poster looks very good on my wall...! ;) Between looks amazing, it has been a book on my wishlist for ages. Thank you Amber! :D

What did you get this week? Zoe xx

India Dark Giveaway Winners!!!

2012-01-29T06:18:00.000-08:00

Today at 8pm was the deadline of the chance to win a copy of India Dark! I have now picked a winner (well, Rafflecopter did. I just pressed a button) and the winner is.....

*DRUM ROLL*

.............

*DRAMATIC TENSION*

.................

******* NINA CROZLER *******

Congratulations! I have sent the winner an e-mail, and they have 3-4 days to reply otherwise I will pick another winner. Sorry to the people you didn't win, but look out for more and maybe you will get lucky...! :D

Zoe xx

Plot Hinge: Serial novels shaped by the real world

2012-01-26T10:20:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,

This post today is to tell you about this exciting new literary project, Plot Hinge. A new chapter is posted every week. The end of the chapter will be a cliff-hanger and to decide what happens next is up to world events. For example, the direction of Chapter 1 will take place on Groundhog Day, and whether or not Wiarton Willie sees his shadow. I don't think I explained that very well, so read this section of the website explaining more about Plot Hinge....

"If. For such a little word it certainly packs a lot of significance. If we never met at that coffee shop all those years ago, we wouldn’t be married. If I hadn’t missed my flight I’d have gotten that job. If it keeps raining our basement is going to flood. It’s remarkable how much this tiny word shapes who we are and where we end up in life.

Plot Hinge is built around that two-letter word and lets chance decide the outcome of online serial novels.
Each week a new chapter will be posted to this website. At the end of each chapter the story will be left at a cliff hanger with the story able to progress in a couple different directions. We then connect the story to an upcoming, real-world event. The outcome of that event will decide which direction the plot will proceed and the following chapter will be written accordingly.

For example, at the end of the current story’s Prologue (click here to go there now), the readers are left with the plot able to go in a couple directions. Whether or not Wiarton Willie sees his shadow on Groundhog Day (Feb 2) will decide which of those directions the story takes.

It’s a fresh approach to storytelling that leaves the fate of the plot to chance. The result is an unpredictable but rewarding experience for both reader and writer.

So how will these stories end? Well, that’s a bit iffy."

Sounds good, right?! The novel is written by Josh Martin, but if you have any ideas you can write a chapter and it could be published...

CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE WEBSITE.

Fiction Express: Falling Backwards - Chapter 8

2012-01-24T13:29:00.000-08:00

Blog Tour: Lolly Luck by Ellie Daines - 'My Top Ten Favourite Films'

2012-01-22T09:06:00.000-08:00

Lolly Luck is Ellie Daines wonderful debut novel, which came out on 5th January 2012. I loved reading it, and you can read my review here.

Today the author has put together a guest post all about her Top Ten Favourite Books, I hope you enjoy reading it and feel free to comment below!

My top ten favourite films

Although I don't consider myself to be a film buff I love nothing better than going to the cinema or watching a DVD. At the cinema, I often see previews of new films sometimes several weeks before their official release and in the past I appeared in trailers for The Switch and Unstoppable where I did a short vox pop interview on what I thought of the film. In my novel, my protagonist Lolly lists a few of the films that she likes, two of which are in my top ten favourite films.

1. Slumdog Millionaire

This film without a doubt is my number one favourite film of all time. I was fortunate enough to see a preview ahead of the film’s release and was completely captivated by its brilliance. I thought it had all the components of a classic movie masterpiece – fantastic story, great cinematography and an amazing score. I wasn’t surprised that it won so many Oscars.

2. Back to the Future

I’ve seen this film so many times that I know much of the dialogue off by heart. Back to the Future is simply a fun family movie that deals with the fascinating topic of time travel. Who wouldn’t want to travel back in time to experience a historic moment or come face to face with a relative they never got the chance to meet? My favourite line from the film comes at the very end, when Doc says ‘Roads? Where we’re going, we don’t need roads.’ If time travel was real, I wouldn’t mind travelling back to the 1970s and going to a disco dressed in a pair of funky flared trousers and platform shoes.

3. Back to the Future Part 2

This film was a brilliant sequel to the first movie and I loved the fact that Marty got to see his future self and future family. I also liked the future technologies in the film – the pizza oven that not only cooked the pizza but enlarged it, the trainers that laced themselves and the hoverboards which I so wish existed right now.

4. Toy Story 3

Toy Story 3 is such a lovable film with so much heart. Ultimately it’s about friendship and being there for your friends no matter what. Woody doesn’t give up on Buzz even when he becomes the enemy at one point. The film is also incredibly funny. My favourite characters are Mr and Mrs Potato Head and Ken.

5. Superman

Whenever Superman comes on TV, I always make sure I find the time to watch it. The film was made in 1978 way before CGI came along but despite its poor quality special effects, I think that there’s just something really special about this movie. As a viewer you really get drawn in and you can’t help but root for Superman when he’s squaring up to the evil Lex Luthor. I’m really looking forward to seeing Superman: Man of Steel this year and I know it’ll most probably have the most amazing special effects. However I don’t think the movie will be anywhere near as good as the original Superman film.

6. Grease

This is such a classic film. I’ve seen it countless times but it never grows old as far as I’m concerned. It’s so upbeat and I can’t watch it without smiling or singing along.

7. Hook

I’ve only properly watched Hook twice from start to finish. I don’t think I could actually watch it in full again because I know I’ll just be in floods of tears. Dustin Hoffman who plays Captain Hook is so convincingly bad and it’s a heart-warming moment when Peter (played by Robin Williams) remembers who he really is. His interaction with the Lost Boys is really funny too but it’s a very emotional moment when he has to say goodbye to them, a moment that I found ever so sad.

8. Edward Scissorhands

This film is a true gem – it’s uplifting but also incredibly bizarre. Johnny Depp is one of my favourite actors and his portrayal of Edward made me feel so sorry for the character and want to help him when everyone in his neighbourhood turned on him.

9. Annie

Annie is my second favourite musical film after Grease. My favourite song from the film is ‘It’s A Hard Knock Life’ and the dance/cleaning sequence that accompanies it is simply wonderful.

10. Titanic

I absolutely adore Titanic and can’t wait to see it on the big screen again this year in 3D. It’s the ultimate boy meets girl love story full of high drama with a few weepy moments.

GUEST REVIEW: The Giants and the Joneses by Julia Donaldson

2012-01-20T09:24:00.000-08:00

I want to say THANK YOU to my little sis (Hannah) for doing this guest review on my blog! I hope you enjoy it and I will hand this post over to her.....

Synopsis:

Jumbeelia, a girl giant, loves the stories of the iggly plop who climbed up the bimblestonk and was chased back down again by a giant. Growing her own bimblestonk, she climbs down it and finds a whole world of iggly plops - our world, in fact, where Colette, Stephen and Poppy are very surprised to find themselves collected up into a bag and carried off back up the beanstalk. So begins a wild and wonderful tale of how three children escape from an overenthusiastic giant girl, her very-pregnant giant mum, and her very nasty adolescent giant brother.

Review:

This is one of my absolute favourite books, I have been reading Julia Donaldson's books since I was little! It has got better and better from a 'Squash and a Squeeze' to this!

This book is about a large beanstalk going all the way up to Groil, the land of giants. When Jumbeelia, a girl giant, finds out there is a bimplestonk (beanstalk) stretching down to earth. Steven, Corlette and Poppy find themselves in in a sticky situation! To make it even more gripping a man (Thog) down the street finds the bimplestonk too and chops it down! How will the gang get home?

My favourite character is Jumbilina because she is curious about every thing and does what is best for others but treats the humans as dolls which is understanding but also a bit selfish because she knows they are real.

If you like books with fantasy and gripping stories this is your book!

RATE:
100000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000/5!!

Publisher: Egmont Books Ltd.

Publication date: 5th August 2004

Pages: 128

Edition: Paperback

Source: Hannah's gift (a present from "Santa")

To buy this book click HERE.

Interview: Lori Culwell, author of The Dirt

2012-01-19T10:53:00.000-08:00

I would like to thank Lori Culwell for being here today on my blog! She is the author of The Dirt, and Hollywood Car Wash. I hope you enjoy reading her answers as much as I did...

Where did you get the ideas for The Dirt?

I grew up in Palm Desert, California. In case you don't know where that is, it's near Palm Springs, and (even more importantly), near Indio, which is where the Coachella music festival is held. Palm Desert/ Palm Springs is a resort/ vacation type community with alot of wealthy and influential people, but also alot of normal people too, so it's an interesting place. I always wanted to write a book about my hometown!

If you could meet one of your characters in real life, who would it be?

Megan! I can't say much more without giving away certain important plot points, but Megan is the most mysterious, the worldliest, and definitely the most confident teenager in the book (in my opinion). She's so smart and awesome!

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

I have a business where I help other writers get the word out about their books, so I like doing that. I am kind of a tech nerd.

Which one of your books did you enjoy writing the most?

I had a great time researching and writing both of my novels (Hollywood Car Wash and The Dirt). It's so fun getting people to tell you all of their dirty secrets and outlandish stories, then weaving those stories into a narrative, all the while knowing that the stories are true!

What is your favourite thing about writing?

I really like it when I can crank up the music in my headphones and really get the writing flow going. When I can get everything else done and dedicate real time to it, I love it! I feel creative AND productive, all at the same time.

What is your least favourite thing about writing?

I really do not like re-writing. I had great editors on both of my novels, but honestly, I don't think any writer can honestly say they like revisiting their work and re-writing it. Not fun!

Have you ever had writer's block?

Not really. I have always had jobs as a writer (newspaper writer, then copywriter, then creative director), so I stick to deadlines and make sure I sit down and get my word count in when I have something due. It sounds unromantic, I know, but when you have a deadline (even a self-imposed one), I really think you have to just get in there and get it done!

How does it feel to be a published author?

Honestly, it feels so awesome. It is such an honor when I hear from people who have read my work. People contact me all the time to say that my books made them laugh, or taught them something, or inspired them to write. That is the best! It took a long time and a ton of hard work to get here, but it was worth it!

Do you have any tips for aspiring writers?

It sounds so simplistic, but in order to be a writer, you have to read and write. Read good books, think about them, and write as much as you can. Write blogs, write journals, write whole books. Participate in NaNoWriMo so you can get a whole novel under your belt (I've done it twice!). Also, network as much as you can. You never know who you're meeting or who they know! Read Stephen King's "On Writing"-- I agree with everything he has to say, from looking at writing as a business to handling rejection to getting your pages in every day. I'm not even a Stephen King fan, and I've probably read that book ten times.

About Lori Culwell

Lori Culwell is the author of five books. Her first novel, Hollywood Car Wash, was originally self published, then was acquired and re-released by Simon & Schuster. She is also the owner of Get Creative Pages, a consulting firm that provides marketing and website services to authors. She has written for the San Francisco Bay Guardian, Salon.com, the Huffington Post, and other publications. She and her husband split time between Los Angeles and New York. You can find her at www.loriculwell.com

Fiction Express: Falling Backwards - Chapter 7

2012-01-17T13:16:00.000-08:00

In My Mailbox #23

2012-01-15T13:01:00.000-08:00

IMM is hosted by The Story Siren.

Beat The Band by Don Calame
I haven't read the prequel, but this book sounds good. As soon as it arrived I started to read the first few sentences and ended up reading several chapters! Thanks to Templar for sending me this to review :)

Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
Despite the slightly creepy pictures inside, the storyline sounds quite good! I have flicked through the pages and (to be honest) I am not sure this will be my kind of book, but I guess we'll see!

Entanged by Cat Clarke
I actually can't remember how long this book has been on my wishlist - so thank you so much to the brilliant Luisa Plaja for taking it off!!! This book sounds amazing, and I don't think I have actually seen a bad review...

Extreme Kissing by Luisa Plaja
Thank you so much to Luisa again! All of her books have been absolutely amazing and I am sure this one will be too - 100% positive in fact! :D

Kiss, Date, Love, Hate by Luisa Plaja
Another book Luisa sent me - yes, she is awesome! I am excited about this one the most. I never thought I could be so excited about a book..... ;)

What did you get this week? Zoe xx

Blog Tour: India Dark Giveaway + Interview with the Author

2012-01-14T05:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the India Dark book blog tour, stop number 6! For those of you unaware of this tour, below is the schedale of all the stops you have missed and that are to come...

India Dark, written by Kirsty Murray, is set in 1910 about a theatre company that is travelling around the world. I loved it (review here), and here is a synopsis below for more information...

After reading this book, the answers below written by Kirsty Murray are really interesting and I hope you find them interesting too...

How did you come up with the idea of India Dark?
I’ve always been interested in working kids, especially kids who have worked in the performing arts. Child performers have featured in several of my earlier novels so in many ways the idea for India Dark novel grew out of years of researching the lives of young artists. In 2001 I read an essay by a theatre historian called ‘Children Half-Price’ that outlined the last disastrous tour of a famous Australian theatre troupe. It was the trigger for starting on the long journey of researching and then writing India Dark.

For someone who isn't sure about reading India Dark, how would you describe it?

India Dark is essentially about truth and lies and how we interpret what happens to us. I suppose part of what makes it compelling is that is based on a true story. In July 1909, twenty-nine Australian children climbed aboard a steamer at Port Melbourne and set off on a two-year world tour. The children were singers, dancers and young comedians aged 7-17 years. Their parents had signed away their custody to the manager of the theatre troupe. On a hot Madras night eight months later, the tour ended in chaos and scandal when twenty-four of the children walked out on their manager refusing to travel further.

What is your favourite part about writing?
I love getting inside my characters’ skins. You only have one life that you can live inside your own body but when you write, you get to experience endless other ways of being in the world.

What is your least favourite part about writing?
Sitting. I hate having to sit for hours on end. I cope with it by getting right inside the story and forgetting about my body but at the end of a long day of writing my neck and shoulders are really sore.

If you could meet any character out of your own books, who would it be and why?
I feel as though I have met all the characters from my own books. Sometimes I dream about them and when I’m writing about a group of characters it’s as though those characters are my constant companions.
I guess if I had to pick only one to spend a bit more time with it would be Bridie O’Connor from one of my earlier novels, Bridie’s Fire (Allen & Unwin, 2003). But it’s a funny thing about characters you create – they often have doppelgangers in the real world.
A few years ago a photographer who was designing the cover of one of my novels - Walking Home with Marie-Claire (Allen & Unwin 2002) - phoned me and said he had seen my fictional character Marie-Claire walking along the beach near his house. He approached her mother and asked if it was okay to take her photo and then he sent me some photos of her. He hadn’t met her before that day on the beach and I had never seen anyone quite like her except in my imagination and yet she really was identical to the character I’d described in my novel. It was spooky. She wound up being one of the cover models on the book.

When you are not writing, what do you like to do?
Read. I know that’s totally predictable but its true. I became a writer because I’m passionate about reading. I’m also a very social animal and love to travel and spend time with my family and friends.

Have you got any tips for aspiring writers?
Read and read and read and when you’re sick of reading, watch a movie, and then go for a walk and then read some more. Read every day and read outside your comfort zone. Read different genres. Read books that make you feel uncomfortable. Read history, philosophy, science and poetry as well as fiction. Discover your nearest library and your state or national library and spend time there browsing and daydreaming. And write.

Are you planning/writing anything new?
I’m working on a new YA historical novel set in 1919. It’s about four sisters and what happened to them when WWI ended. Their only brother died on the Western Front and the youngest sister, Tiney Flynn, is determined that the family will travel to France to visit his grave. I’m hoping to have it finished in time for it to be published in early 2014.

Thank you, Kirsty! Now you get a chance to read this amazing novel by entering the giveaway below! Yay - free stuff!

T&C's

UK residents only
Deadline is 27th January 2012 at 8pm.
You do not have to be a follower, but if you do become then it would be very appreciated. :)
The winner is picked at random so there is a fair chance for everyone.
Fill in the Rafflecopter form below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Discussion: Audiobooks

2012-01-12T11:41:00.000-08:00

So. One of my blogging resolutions is to do more discussion posts - and here is my first! This isn't going to be a very long one but I wanted to do some sort of post on audiobooks. What do you think of them? Are they any good? Do you want listen to one?

I haven't actually listened to an audiobook before, but I am getting more and more interested in different formats of books. Recently I received a Kindle and I am LOVING it! Of course, it doesn't beat print books and I will definitely always have more print than e-books. Anyway, I have thought up some questions that I have found what might trouble me with audiobooks....

Will I find myself being able to read faster in real life, and that the voice seems to be going at a pace I don't like?
Will I find myself drifting off at times when listening?
If I stop the tape to listen to another time, won't I have to 'faff' about and rewind to remind myself what has happened?
What if I find the voice/tone annoying to listen to?

I think it would be great to experience an audiobook for myself. I think I might take one out the library one day. They will be great for relaxing I think, when you don't feel up to reading (which rarely happens...) but just want something to listen to. On the Girls Heart Books blog run by authors, a post by Luisa Plaja shared a sample of the Split By A Kiss audiobook, and I think it has really persuaded me to listen to an audiobook, if the voice actors keep me as hooked as this...

Sample of Split by a Kiss audiobook

Have you ever listened to an audiobook before? What did you think of it? Should I try one out? Are you tempted to listen to one too? SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS :)

Fiction Express: Falling Backwards - Chapter 6

2012-01-09T10:23:00.000-08:00

In My Mailbox #22

2012-01-08T07:27:00.000-08:00

IMM is hosted by The Story Siren.

Hit Squad by Sophie McKenzie

Yayayaayayayayayayayayayayayay! x100 and that is my mood right now! I love The Medusa Project books. I will sad to see them end, but I am sure the last book will go with a bang... :)

Fracture by Megan Miranda

I won this ARC from the amazing book blog, The Book Addicted Girl. I won this will the other two books below and it sounds ama-zing!

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Confession: I haven't read one of Neil Gaiman's books before. :-O This one sounds a great one to start with though, it looks really interesting.

In Darkness by Nick Lake

I hadn't heard of this one before I had a look at the giveaway, but it sounds absolutely amazing so I entered. I am so happy I won because all the books sounds awesome!

Harry Potter Tote Bag

And to top off this brilliant giveaway, I also won a Harry Potter tote bag! I love HP (some would say obsessed... xD).

Significance by Shelly Crane

(ebook)

Thank you so much to the author for sending me this to review. I have already started it and I can I've you one hint of my upcoming review.... it is FANTASTIC! :D

What did you get this week? Zoe xx

India Dark by Kirsty Murray

2012-01-07T13:57:00.000-08:00

Synopsis:

A story of secrets, lies and lost innocence. MADRAS, 1910: Posey Swift and Tilly Sweetrick are caught up in a scandal that will change their lives forever. Singing and Dancing across a hundred stages as members of a troupe of Australian child performers, they travel by steam train into the heart of India. But as one disaster follows another, money runs short and tempers fray. What must the girls do to protect themselves, and how many lives will be ruined if they try to break free?

Review:

I usually don't settle for historical fiction - yeah, I like history, but sometimes certain parts bore me. But not this book! It is set in 1910 in India. A theatre company travels the world which leads to adventures, secrets and lies, and disasters that lead trouble for Posey and Tilly...

First of all, I must comment on the writing. It is exquisite. I loved the metaphors and descriptive language used, it is one of the reasons why I didn't want to put the book down. For example; the first line is "Daisy opened her mouth and lies flew out." Brilliant! Another teaser is:
"Her face so pink and white, her lips so plump and sweet, her lies so vile. I had to cover my ears. I shut my eyes too, wanting to block out the courtroom, to neither see nor hear the evil."
I love how it is so descriptive. The book made me feel like I was there, with Tilly and Posey. What makes it even better is that the book is based on a true story, so the events are even more thrilling if you are aware that this happened in reality.

I am not sure what age group to recommend it to. Some of the dialogue can be a bit young, not something people would say in real life. Sometimes I found the book hard to relate to, which made it at times not as gripping. During the middle I felt like I couldn't really be bothered to carry on reading it, like it was a bit of a chore. However, I am glad a did carry on because the ending is beautiful! I can also see why the author had to make the beginning a bit longer to go with the story.

India Dark has all different genres - romance, adventure, action, loneliness, dishonesty, friendship - so I guess lots of different people will enjoy this book. I may recommend this book slightly more to girls 8-14, because it is told from a two girls perspectives and about their lives.

If you are a historical fiction fan, this book is for you! This book takes not only the characters on a journey, but yourself too. I have been re-reading my favourite parts a lot, I didn't want it to end.

RATE: 4.5/5

Publisher: Templar

Publication date: 1st January 2012

Pages: 336

Edition: Paperback (ARC)

Source: For Review
To buy this book click HERE.

WINNERS!!!

2012-01-03T11:18:00.000-08:00

The winner for the 100 Follower Giveaway is......

********** Liz. R !!! *******************

The winner for the 1st Blogoversary Giveaway is....

********** Sue Elvin !!! ***************

Congratulations! I have sent an e-mail to you both. Like all the giveaways on my blog, the winners have 3 days to reply otherwise the the prize with be passed onto someone else.

Zoe xx

Fiction Express: Falling Backwards - Chapter 5

2012-01-02T09:28:00.000-08:00

In My Mailbox #21

2012-01-02T08:53:00.000-08:00

IMM is hosted by The Story Siren.

Riley's Believe It Or Not! 2012
I got this for my Birthday and there is some freaky stuff in there! I can't actually believe most of the stuff in there is true! :D It makes me turn away but also makes me want of look at in it more.... but I am kind of put off for now after seeing a picture with a man with two mouths....

Writing a Novel and Getting Published for Dummies
I LOVE this book! I spent a lot of my birthday reading it to be honest! ;) I love writing stories but never actually finish them, so this book is really helpful.

The Secret Countess by Eva Ibboston
A MAAAAAAAASSSSIIIIVVVEEEEEEEE THANK YOU to Rachel for sending me this book! I love this author's books and this one sounds awesome. For those who didn't know, Rachel is the owner of Booktastic Reviews which she isn't posting anymore, but she has left it up for everyone to look and browse (which I suggest you do! ;)).
I also won a bookmark (also sent by Rachel) which is from the book Justin Thyme - now I need to get the book! It sounds good! :)

Zoe xx

2012 Blogging Resolutions

2011-12-31T07:58:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!! Well, nearly. From this point onwards there are officially 8 hours to 1/1/12! :)

As this is the last post of 2011 (sob) I have put together some blogging resolutions that I am going to try to keep/fulfil for 2012...

1. Complete at least one reading challenge. I am attempting two; TBR Reading Challenge and the E-Book Reading Challenge. I have set myself reasonable targets so hopefully I will do pretty well on both of them!

2. Get 200 followers - and keep growing! At the moment, I have 150. Followers aren't everything because not everyone who reads blogs have a GFC account. But I like to know how many and who is viewing my blog, so that is why I have set this as a target. :c)

3. Write more discussion posts. The reason I have decided to make this a resolution is because I feel that most of my posts are similar - either a review, In My Mailbox or a Cover Crazy feature. I have few ideas of what to post about, and hopefully I will think of a few more...

4. Take part in one other meme. As I mentioned above, I am going to try and post more than the usual things I post on this blog. One problem: which meme shall I choose?! Teaser Tuesday, Waiting On Wednesday, Top Ten Tuesday, Follow Friday, Shelf Candy Saturday.... ideas anyone?

5. Post more things about Bookhi on Twitter and Facebook. This may sound a bit silly, but I am hoping to discover more blogs, get more followers/'likes' and just general book-y things. I love both of the sites so this should be pretty easy to complete! :) To tweet, follow or like my page you can fine this blog by clicking on the links in the sidebar :) ----------->

That is all I can think of for now. Hopefully I will succeed at completing at least one my resolutions.......... what are yours? Zoe xx

PS. I found this on the Internet of the reality of resolutions and found it quite funny - and so true!

borrowed

Lolly Luck by Ellie Daines

2011-12-29T13:24:00.000-08:00

Synopsis

'I'm Lolly Luck by name, lucky by nature. I'm the luckiest person I know, and the luckiest person everyone else knows.'

But Lolly's luck begins to turn. When her dad loses his job and the family home, Lolly thinks things can’t get any worse. Then she overhears her parents arguing and learns a secret that will change her life forever...

Review:

I absolutely loved this book from start to finish, and when it ended I felt like starting at the beginning and reading Lolly's story all over again. It is about a young girl called Lolly Luck - lucky by name and nature. Everything good happens to her: she wins parts of the lottery, gets the lead in a school play, wins competitions and raffles, finds money on the floor...until one day her whole world is changed around. On her birthday, her Dad admits he has lost his job and Lolly's luck is draining further and further away.

The issue in this book is one many children can relate to and I am sure it can be a book that they really connect with: money problems, parents arguing, bullies, and older sisters. I think I am going to lend/recommend this book to my sister (aged 10) and possibly her friends because it is a great book they will find interesting.

Ellie Daines makes the characters really believable, I could picture them very clearly like I had known them for years. They are all different too, not like a lot of books where the same personalities can get boring after a while. Marissa is mean and spiteful, Nancy is caring and thoughtful, her Mum is kind but appears slightly stressful and bossy, her Dad is kind but seems to be drifting away from Lolly...and I won't tell you about the characters because they appear in a big twist in the middle of the book. ;)

I don't think I have read any bad review on this book at all. I don't really have any negative points at all! It is aimed at 8-12 year olds but I am 14 and I enjoyed it as a light read. Read it to yourself, your little sister, your daughter, your dog, your fish! Everyone needs to read this.

RATE: 5/5

Publisher: Anderson Press

Publication date: 5th January 2012

Pages: 192

Edition: Paperback (ARC)

Source: For Review
To buy this book click HERE.

Note To Self by Avery Sawyer

2011-12-28T12:51:00.000-08:00

Two climbed up. Two fell down.

One woke up.

*

Robin Saunders is a high school sophomore with an awesome best friend, a hard-working single mom, and a complicated relationship with a sweet guy named Reno. She's coasting along, trying to get through yet another tedious year of high school, when Em suggests something daring. They live in Florida-- tourist central--and Emily wants to sneak into a theme park after midnight and see what they're made of.

When things get out of control, Robin wakes up in a hospital bed and Emily doesn't wake up at all. Just getting dressed becomes an ordeal as Robin tries to heal and piece together the details of that terrible night. Racing to remember everything in the hopes of saving Emily, Robin writes a series of notes to herself to discover the truth.

This book is really original and I found it a really good and interesting read. The author has a real talent for writing and I hope she writes more in the future. It is about two best friends, Emily and Robin. They both climb up Fun Towne and both fall down - but only one wakes up. Robin tells the story of a struggling teenager not remembering her past, bullies teasing her, falling in love with the boy she didn't expect, and her best friend won't wake up from a coma.

This story is so unique, I haven't read anything like this before. It was clever how Avery Sawyer portrayed the story in the point of view of a girl with concussion. At first I thought this isn't going to work, the story is not going to be very interesting if she keeps passing out. But then, as it continued on, the problems Robin faced were really powerful and I was dying to know what happened next.

I haven't experienced any kind of concussion before, and nobody I know has, so I guess that is what also made this story even more fascinating for me. Teenagers feel misunderstood and alone already, and Robin also feels that nobody can empathise or understand what she is going through. I think a lot of people can relate to Robin even without having any medical problems, because this story is all about coping with this.

My only (minor) criticism is that sometimes it wasn't clear what was going on. For example, the chapter would start by 'he said this, he did this' for a page of two - who is 'he'?! This also happened with 'things' as well: 'We climbed it', 'he took it' and so on. However, I did understand the plot and could tell what was happening so it didn't spoil my read.

I recommend this to anyone in the mood for a light read, with a bit of drama and reality involved (if that makes sense!). There are occasional swear words so I recommend this for 11-12+. I read this in only a few days, and I am sure I will read it again!

RATE: 4.5/5

Publisher: Self

Publication date: 20th November 2011

Pages/File Size: 297 KB

Edition: E-Book

Source: For Review
To buy this book click HERE.

In My {Christmas} Mailbox

2011-12-27T09:27:00.000-08:00

I hope you all had a MERRY CHRISTMAS! I know I did! :D I love this time of year because three events happen in the space of only a few days: Christmas, my birthday and the new year! Sorry I haven't been posting as much as I wanted to during the holidays, but hopefully I will be able to post a few more before I go back to school.
So, for Christmas, I got two books and a lot of stationary and notebooks. That satisfies me fine!

IMM is hosted by The Story Siren. It is a meme a lot of book bloggers take part in to show what books they have received that week.

^ All the book related things I got for Christmas ^

The Declaration by Gemma Malley
I have been dying to read this one for ages. I have read so many good reviews and my friends have been recommending the series to me as well - thank you Santa! =)

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly
I love history and from what I read of the blurb it sounds amazing! It is told from two teenage girls perspectives - Andi whose brother has just died and is failing school and Alexandrine who is a street performer of Revolutionary France; somehow, though centuries apart, they are connected somehow.

Book Journal
I don't know if you can see in the picture, but one of the notebooks says 'Book Journal' on it. It is a great book to keep track of my reviews, books to read, and books I have borrowed. I love it - it is perfect for me! :]

Once again, I hope you all had a great Christmas and have a happy new year! To end the post, a few Christmassy pics....

Zoe xx

Cover Crazy: Models and Dresses

2011-12-21T12:09:00.000-08:00

**Welcome to Cover Crazy! This is a feature on Bookhi that focuses on nothing but book covers. Most people judge books by their covers, even without realising; it might not catch their eye or appeal to their reading preference. I will post about new releases, beautiful covers, UK vs US and pretty much anything that takes my fancy to do with them.**

A lot of covers have models with beautiful dresses, and I have noticed a lot of books with them. Also, a lot of books have models on the covers. In my opinion, I don't really like covers with models on. I prefer an illustration of an object or design which grabs my attention better than characters on books. Today I am going to talk about a few examples and my opinions.

First of all, here are a few covers with dresses:

The Luxe series by Anna Godbersen

Entwined by Heather Dixen

Forgiven by Janet Fox

The Princess of the Midnight Ball by
Jessica Day George

Fallen series by Lauren Kate

I think most of the dresses above are really eye catching and appealing, and most females will be intrigued to buy it from just the dress. However, many people have different dress senses; I tried to get a variety of different types. The Luxe series are very big and puffy which will give an impression that the book is set in an old-fashioned time. Whereas Forgiven and the Fallen series are more modern.

Moving onto the models of the covers, I think sometimes they work best and sometimes they don't. I like to think of the characters up myself, and sometimes characters on covers don't work or portray a storyline that doesn't appeal to me. For example, I don't really like one of the covers for I'd Tell You I Love You But Then I'd Have To Kill You by Ally Carter (right). The girl on the cover gives me an idea of the typical high school, maybe something like I have read before. It isn't, because it is actually a really good book about a spy girl you can kill with a piece of uncooked spaghetti.......

What do you think? Do models on covers work?

Zoe xx

Fiction Express: Falling Backwards - Chapter 3 + 4

2011-12-18T13:26:00.000-08:00

I knew there was going to be a week or so near Christmas time where I wouldn't be able to blog. I have been quite busy, but it is the school holidays (WOOO!) so I will have more time to catch up on posts now. =)

**Fiction Express is an e-fiction site where each chapter is released every Friday. When you have read that chapter, you can vote to what happens next! The first chapter is for free, and the next ten chapters are from 39p. I recommend the site 100% and I suggest you check out the brilliant books they have on offer. Please be aware that my review may have spoilers.**

When a stranger takes the seat next to Leah on the plane to Mexico and unburdens her unhappy story, Leah finds herself involved in someone else's life in a way she'd never thought possible. Can Leah help April correct the mistakes of her past and find peace at last? Will she risk losing herself in the process?

Chapter 3
After being told in the last chapter by Rosa that Leah can only return to 2011 when he fixes April's past, she makes the decision to stay with the Flores family. She also reads a bit of April's diary, which kind of contradicts itself; she convinces herself to read it and that she is doing the right thing, but I would hate it if someone read my diary.... this made me want to read on even more. Throughout the whole chapter I was immersed in the story, and I am pretty sure that my feelings are mutual with a lot of other people.

Chapter 4
This book is quite different from the other previous books we have had on Fiction Express; it is different and unique and I haven't read anything quite like this before - in a good way! I really like the contrast of different characters, and Leah is a good one for the main role. I mean, to be honest, if I was in the position that she is in I would be freaking out and panicking in the corner! Leah is making bold decisions and I like how in each chapter she is becoming more and more independent. Now I have another reason to excited about next week - Christmas and the fifth chapter coming out! ;)

Zoe xx

In My Mailbox #20

2011-12-11T10:19:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Bookhi's IMM, a meme hosted by The Story Siren. It is where book bloggers post what books they have received that week.

Gift-
House Of Night: Marked by P.C & Kristin Cast
Thank you SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO much to the amazing Ria from The Beaucoup Review! She saw that this book was on my wish list and offered to send it to me - isn't she awesome?!
Let's have a look....

Err...don't know how to turn it the right
way round... xD

She also gave me some awesome swag
bits and bobs...love it! :D

I can't thank you enough, Ria! You are the best! *multiple hugs*

Bought-
Noughts & Crosses Series 1-4 by Malorie Blackman
As a sort of early Christmas present for myself, I ordered MB's Noughts & Crosses series from The Book People for £6.99. I knew that I wasn't going to get a bargain like this anywhere else and I didn't know how long this sale would last so.....here they are!

Zoe xx

2012 Reading Challenges

2011-12-09T09:45:00.000-08:00

I haven't taken part in any of the annual challenges before - so this year I am being brave and doing two!

The TBR Reading Pile Challenge

Hosted by Books, Biscuits And Tea, this is a challenge to help book addicts get through their 2011 TBR piles. Mine isn't very big, compare to some of the big blogs out there; but I still have a fair amount of books I am dying to read that are collecting dust! There are five levels and I am aiming to read 15 books.

1-10 - A Firm Handshake

11-20 - A Friendly Hug

21-30 - A Sweet Kiss

31-40 - Love At First Sight

41-50+ - Married With Children

Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs
Fins Are Forever by Tera Lynn Childs
Ellie Foster's English Coursework by Tina Orr Munro
Wings by Aprilynne Pike
The 13 Treasures by Michelle Harrison
A Year Without Autumn by Liz Kessler
Foreget-Me-Not by Jo Coterill
The Declaration by Gemma Malley (I hear that "Santa" is getting me this for Christmas....)
Love, Aubrey by Suzanne Collins
Shine by Kate Maryon
Deep Water by Isla Whitecroft
Knife Edge by Malorie Blackman
The Ant Colony by Jenny Valentine
The Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly (another present from Santa... got to love that guy!)
Numbers by Rachel Ward

Plus, to make this challenge even more appealing, there are ten hosts with monthly wrap-up posts about the challenge. There will be giveaways every month and one big one at the end - come on, aren't you tempted?!

The 2012 E-Book Challenge

This challenge has been running for years, but this year has been passed onto a different host which is Workaday Reads. I have recently received a Kindle and I am loving it! I want to get into reading more e-books so this challenge seemed a perfect way of setting a goal.

Floppy disk - 5 ebooks
CD - 10 ebooks
DVD - 25 ebooks
Memory stick - 50 ebooks
Hard drive - 75 ebooks
Server - 100 ebooks
Human brain - 150 ebooks

Kisses For Lulu by Samantha Mackintosh
Gifts of Blood by Vicki Keire
Darkness in the Blood by Vicki Keire
Truth and Dare by various authors
Priscilla The Great: The Kiss Of Life by Sybil Nelson
Marina's Tales #4: Turning Tides by Derrolyn Anderson (it hasn't been published yet, but I think it will probably come out in 2012...!)
Reckless Magic (The Star-Crossed Series #1) by Rachel Higginson
Boys For Begginners by Lil Chase
I don't have any others right now on my Kindle, but I will add them onto the list once I have read them. My challenge is 10!

Are you taking part in any 2012 Challenges? What are they? Good luck if you are! Zoe xx

100 Followers Giveaway!

2011-12-07T10:45:00.000-08:00

Yes....Bookhi has reached that magical triple digit number......100 followers, baby! I am so happy that I have got to this number at last! I know that followers aren't the be-all-end-all of blogging, because I blog because I love it. I also know other blogs which got to more than 300 followers within a year, which is amazing. But I am very happy that even 100 people considered to look at my blog, let alone follow it!

To celebrate, I am doing another giveaway! So I shall post now before I change my mind about running 2 giveaways at the same time.....

ANYWAY, onto da winning of books!

I am going to keep it simple.

The winner gets 1 book of their choice from The Book Depository. It can be any kind of book - old, new, pre-order, audio..... but whatever it is must be a maximum of £10. :)

T&C's:

It is open to everyone, everywhere! International!
The deadline is 2nd January 2012 at 8pm. (I have made this the same deadline as my 1st Blogoversary giveaway for thre reason that I can announce them both at the same time)
The winner will be picked at random so there is a fair chance for everyone.
Since this is a follower-giveaway competition, you must be a follower to enter.
To enter fill out the form below.

(this is also a great chance to have a play about with Rafflecopter!)

Good luck! Zoe xx

Cover Crazy: Fallen series by Lauren Kate

2011-12-06T10:59:00.000-08:00

I NEED to read the Fallen series - like, soon! All the covers have a similar, gorgeous design. They all have the a model on the front in a beautiful dress. In this one, you can't see her face. It kind of symbolises mystery and despair, like she is turning herself away from the world. This is the latest one, but it isn't out until mid 2012.

I like how Fallen In Love has a similar title to the first book, Fallen. I'm not sure, but I think she is wearing the same dress. Even though the colours are a bit dull, and it is similar to the others, I still like it. Not as much as the others, though. This is probably my least favourite cover in the series - but I still like it!!

Below are the first 3 books:

My favourite cover is Passion. In my opinion, these three beat the new ones above. What do you think? Do you like the models on all of the covers? Do you think the cover reflects the storyline? Comment below!

Zoe xx

Fiction Express: Falling Backwards - Chapter 2

2011-12-05T13:35:00.000-08:00

Stained (Zombie I Am #1) by Mike Mauthor

2011-12-03T13:14:00.000-08:00

A swift outbreak changed Lin Matthew's world forever.

A mysterious new student enrolled in Beaver High.

And a popular television show brought betrayal hence endangering Lin and his friends' life.

Stained is a different take of a zombie tale like no other.

I don't usually read this type of genre, but after reading the author's last book (House Trap) and loved it, I thought I should give this one a try too....and I was definitely not disappointed! I found this book really gripping - the way the author writes it is amazing. I wanted to read on, and find out what happens next.

Stained is a zombie book - usually, I wouldn't pick up a book like this, but after reading it I can't wait for the next in the series! Lin Matthew is a regular teenager, everything is normal; until he gets bitten by a zombie. It is an action-packed chase, as he tries to get away from the sickly 'humans'. The next chapter is one year later, with Lin alive but in hospital. The doctors confirm that he got off lucky for this condition, but he has to take tablets for the rest of his life. His Dad states that his life will be normal and he can just go back to school. But it isn't that simple. He is an outcast and his life will never be the same again.

All the ideas are so original, it was great to read something fresh and new. This made the ending unpredictable - bravo, Mike Mauthor!

The last sentence of the blurb above is Stained is a different take of a zombie tale like no other. This is so true! This book is unique in every way. The storyline is genius and this is one of the many reasons that persuaded me to read on.

I totally recommend reading his books, and this one has just made me even more of a fan. If you are looking for a suspenseful, thrilling, and slightly gruesome read, choose this one.

RATE: 4.5/5

Publisher: Self

Publication date: 8th November 2011

Pages/File Size: 336 KB

Edition: E-Book

Source: For Review
To buy this book click HERE.

5 Prize Pack Giveaways on The Mile Long Bookshelf!

2011-12-02T13:03:00.000-08:00

Who doesn't love free books? Who doesn't love free stuff in general?!

The Mile Long Bookshelf is having it's SECOND birthday! Whoop! Happy Birthday TMLB! *sings happy birthday embarrassingly*

Anyway, over the next five days it is giving away FIVE prize packs.

Yes, you heard me right.

FIVE PRIZE PACKS!

Prize Pack 1:

'Fracture' by Megan Miranda
'Twilight - Breaking Dawn' Double Sided Poster
'Haunting Violet' tote bag

Prize Pack 2:

'Between' by Jessica Warman
'Fallen Grace' - Mary Hooper Double Sided Poster
'Haunting Violet' tote bag

Prize Pack 3:

'Haunting Violet' tote bag
Double Sided 'Mary Hooper' poster
Kisses for Lula by Samantha Mackintosh

We find out Prize Packs 4 & 5 on the next few days! So do you see something that takes your fancy? Thought so! I might enter all of them because they are all so cool..... *sneaky grin*
If you don't see something that you like, then come back tomorrow and Sunday to have a look at the others.

Couldn't get any better? Wrong! It is international!

...why are you still here? Go and enter! Quickly! Click on the links below to get to them:
PRIZE PACK 1
PRIZE PACK 2
PRIZE PACK 3
HOME PAGE

Good luck! :)
~ Zoe xx

Bookhi's 1st Blogoversary - This is just the beginning....

2011-12-02T10:19:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Bookhi's 1st Blogoversary! It doesn't feel like the blog has been going for that long, but I guess the "time flies when you're having fun" saying is right! :)

Before I started, I didn't exactly know what a proper 'book blogger' was. When I first set it up, I didn't even know I would get sent books to review! After seeing other book blogs and thinking that it looked fun to do, I had no idea that it would be like this (in a good way!).

I wouldn't have had most of the books on my shelf if it weren't for blogging, and it takes a lot of my free time but I love it.

I'm not going to do a 10000 word post blabbing on about how blogging is awesome (because believe me, I could do that) so I am going to put a few random facts about Bookhi over the past year:

Ahem.

My Very First

First Ever Post: Welcome
First Review: Cathy Cassidy books
First Book I Was Sent To Review: Fizzy Pop by Jean Ure (hopefully my reviews have developed since then...!)
First Book I Was Sent To Review For This Blog: Day Of Assassins by Johnny O' Brien
First Interview: Amber from The Mile Long Bookshelf
First Giveaway: Fiction Express Rémy Brunel And The Ocean Of Light
First Meme I Took Part In: Weekly Wanted: Wishlist Wonders

My Latest:

Latest Post: (not including this one, hehe) Bookhi's 1st Blogoversary: GIVEAWAY!
Latest Review: Pop Princess By Cathy Hopkins
Latest Book I Was Sent To Review For This Blog: Note To Self by Avery Sawyer
Latest Interview: Julia Suzuki, author or Yoshiko And The Gift Of Charms
Latest Giveaway: Bookhi's 1st Blogoversary, lol.
Latest Meme I Took Part In: In My Mailbox

Random Facts:

Bookhi was previously named 'Zoe's Books' but then I decided to change it to something more original.
It has had 23,426 pageviews in all time history. Impressive! But I think that counts as the same person multiple times :P
Most people have found my blog through Google.
My post popular post is 'Harry Potter' which has had 840 pageviews! (personally I think that post is rubbish...)
Most people who view my blog is in the UK.
171 people have typed into my search bar 'happy cat' *confused face*

Thank you for reading! I just want to say a BIG thank you to all of my 62 followers! And thank you to those ones especially who actually read the stuff I put and take time to comment! *cyber hugs*

To wrap up the post, I have put together a word cloud about Bookhi! Enjoy! Zoe xx

http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/4509933/Bookhi

Bookhi's 1st Blogoversary: GIVEAWAY!

2011-12-01T09:42:00.000-08:00

Has it been a year already?! Whoop whoop! Welcome to Bookhi's 1st Birthday, and I am sure it won't be the last! I have decided to do two posts; one as a summary of Bookhi for the past year and various facts, and a giveaway! Good times.

The first one is the giveaway! You can choose between 14 books!

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Half Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Coram Boy by Jamila Gavin

The Hunger Games #3: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Crossed by Ally Condie

Passion by Lauren Kate

Angel Fire by L.A Weatherly

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Everlasting by Alyson Noel

Along For The Ride by Sarah Dessen

Prized by Caragh M. O' Brien

Lia's Guide To Winning The Lottery by Keren David

Fallen Grace by Mary Hooper

Destined by P.C Cast & Kristin Cast

Click on a name for more information about the book, but make sure to right click and click 'open in new tab' to avoid leaving this page! ;)

1BG button #1

1BG button #2

To enter, it is simple. Read the T&Cs first and enter the form.

T&C's:

The competition is international - yay! :-)
The deadline is 2nd January 2012 at 8pm.
The winner will be picked at random so there is a fair chance for everyone.

ENTER THE FORM HERE!

Good luck! The next post about my Blogoversary will be up tomorrow, so remember to come back! Zoe xx

Pop Princess by Cathy Hopkins

2011-11-29T10:10:00.000-08:00

Synopsis:

Becca missed the fun of the school production of Grease, and she has the reputation of being fickle, a dreamer, and not seeing things through. But the Pop Princess challenge makes her determined to try harder than she has ever tried before. She has the voice, but has she got the staying power?

Review:

I love Cathy Hopkin's books. You can never get too old for one, even this one which is aimed at younger readers (9-13 I would say). I didn't hesitate when WH Smith asked if I could read and review it - I really enjoyed it, and read it in one sitting. It is a fab girly, funny and cute read that I would quite happily read again and again.

Pop Princess is about Becca, a young teen, is known as being a 'dreamer' and not getting things done. She can sometimes be quite nervous and modest, but can also show as a strong character that can fantasise and believe in herself. When her friend, Squidge, dares her to enter a contest 'Pop Princess' it becomes more than just a dare. She starts to drift away from her friend and boyfriend and be focused on everything about the competition.

It is great watching her character develop through the story; Becca starts off as a dreamer and then becoming more optimistic and continuity. At some times I wanted to hug her and dive into the pages and join in, but sometimes I just wanted to shake and shout at her the obvious and what her impact is doing to her friends.

At times some things in the book seemed unrealistic, and I thought that the characters wouldn't really say or do that in real life. However, it didn't spoil it at all - actually, that is my only complaint! I thoroughly enjoyed it and want to read the rest of the series now....and you should too!

RATE: 4.5/5

Publisher: Piccadilly

Publication date: 28th April 2008

Pages: 160

Edition: Paperback

Source: For Review
To buy this book click HERE.

Marina's Tales #3: The Fate Of The Muse by Derrolyn Anderson

2011-11-28T10:53:00.000-08:00

Synopsis:

Trouble is stalking Marina. She’s already escaped the clutches of her formidable foe once, but fate has even more trials in store for her. There are evil plans in the works– plans that threaten both her and her newly found family.
As she struggles to come to grips with her unwanted powers, outside forces threaten to tear Marina and Ethan apart, making her doubt their vision of a future together. Can first love be true love?

Review

I love, love, LOVE Marina's Tales! This is the third book in the series, and hopefully not the last. The first one, Marina has moved to live with her aunt and cousin after her Dad is going to Afghanistan. She does not expect to fall in love, find out she is a mermaid and have a life-changing decision to make - well, who does?

In the second book, Marina's boyfriend's ex has turns up, and of what she thought had been the end of her mermaid-life is gradually coming back to her. In this book, Marina and Ethan are so cute together! At the beginning, they are planning their future and everything. SQUEEE their romance is so cute to read!!!

I really enjoy read these books, I was hooked! I am sure I will return and re-read this series again and again.

All the characters are brilliant too - typical American boy Ethan, persistent and passionate Marina, lovable Cruz, cool Megan, caring Abby and stylish Evie. I can imagine them as my friends, the characters come to life.

The author describes the scene really well, and I love the different ideas. In most series, some ideas are mostly repeated and they get a bit boring after a while; but in The Fate Of The Muse it is just as gripping and as unique as the first two.

I definitely recommend these to any teenage girl, 11+. I had never really read a 'mermaid' book before this one and I am now definitely interested in more of this genre. I hear that Derrolyn Anderson is currently working on book four, 'Turning Tides', but I may explode of excitement before I get chance to read it! :)

RATE: 5/5

Publisher: Self

Publication date: 16th September 2011

Pages/File Size: 531 KB

Edition: E-Book

Source: For Review
To buy this book click HERE.

NEWS: The Gentlemen Press Writing Competition

2011-11-27T09:33:00.000-08:00

From the 12th September 2011 to the 31st January 2012 The Gentlemen Press is running a young writers’ competition. When I received an e-mail telling me about this, I thought: this is right up my street! I accepted to tell you all about this great competition on my blog because I am sure there are many of you out there who are interested in this. So....

Are you.........

Between the ages of 13-21 years of age?
Interested in writing short stories?
Eager to have work published in an anthology?
A resident in the UK?

If you are, visit The Gentlemen Press website to find out more information. You can also read blog posts by YA authors for writing and inspiration.

The judges will be Jean Ure, for the 13-15 category, Nine Arches for the 16-18 category and David Belbin for the 19-21 category - which is the icing on the cake!

So, what are you waiting for? GET WRITING!!!

In My Mailbox #19

2011-11-27T08:44:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Bookhi's IMM, a meme hosted by The Story Siren. It is where book bloggers post what books they have received that week.

For Review-

Lolly Luck by Ellie Daines

I was really happy when the author contacted me to review her book, because it sounds really good! And it is an ARC - double yay! :-D
Pop Princess by Cathy Hopkins

You can never get too old for this author. As a special Christmas promotion, WH Smith are sending out review copies to bloggers - woo!
Note To Self by Avery Sawyer
This one sounds fantastic, thank you to the author for sending me this to review. I love the cover too! :)

What did you get in your mailboxes? Zoe xx

Bookliss

2011-11-21T11:05:00.000-08:00

Hi,

Today I am going to do a quick post to let you all know about another book blog I am taking part in with other bloggers - Bookliss. The fab Beth at Page-Turner set the whole thing up, so I want to say thank you to her for asking for me to host it with her!

Bookliss it basically another blog but with just book reviews. Nothing else. It will be mainly teenage-YA books, but there may be a children books reviewed occasionally.

Don't expect too much yet - remember, it is brand new! We are still sorting out it all, and some parts of the site may change.

Click HERE to go to Bookliss, hope you enjoy and happy reading!

Zoe xx

Fiction Express: Falling Backwards - Chapter 1

2011-11-19T13:20:00.000-08:00

When a stranger takes the seat next to Leah on the plane to Mexico and unburdens her unhappy story, Leah finds herself involved in someone else's life in a way she'd never thought possible. Can Leah help April correct the mistakes of her past and find peace at last? Will she risk losing herself in the process?

A fresh new e-book on Fiction Express has just come out and the first chapter gives a very good impression to start off the book! Fiction Express is one of my favourite websites, and their books never disappoint.

In Falling Backwards, Leah is on a plane to Mexico. She finds herself sitting next to an old woman named April, who tells her a story of when she was a young girl. April regrets those days, and wishes she could turns back the clock. Coincidentally, the aeroplane passes over The Bermuda Triangle lightning strikes and plane tosses and dives, and Leah passes out.

When she wakes up, everything is normal. She finds herself in a different body. But not only a different body, a different time. Could she be April in the past? Could fate have made a way of April fixing those mistakes?

I love the concept of hitting The Bermuda Triangle and going back in time in another person's body - but the body of a stranger who she knows hardly anything about. And, worst of all, the world is going by as normal while she is alone and trapped...

The way it is written is really gripping, I liked how I could relate with the characters and feel like I am in the story. The storyline is so original I can't help but be in awe! Even though I have only read the first chapter, the next happenings are unpredictable. This is one of those books where you know from the start it is going to be your new favourite.

Zoe xx

Everblossom: A Short Story and Poem Anthology by Larissa Hinton

2011-11-15T10:42:00.000-08:00

An anthology that will quench your thirst for more than the ordinary.

Everblossom is a journey through poems and short stories that may seem ordinary on the surface but dig a little deeper and the world not only shifts. It changes.

From the author who brought you Iwishacana/Acanawishi, she now brings you a dash of everything from dark fantasy to the paranormal to even romance. So prepare yourself to delve into the three stages of the flower from bud to blossom then back to seed, you'll go through them all with a whole new perspective on what it all truly means.

I adored this anthology; it has everything I want in a story. Gripping storylines, memorable characters, convincing romance and beautiful writing. I didn't know this collection of poetry and stories would be so good - but I hope my review convinces you to read it so you don't hesitate like I did!

Every one of the stories had the potential to be turned into a proper book - every single one of them. When it finished, I wanted more! I was genuinely upset when the whole collection ended and the bar at the bottom of my kindle said 100%. The stories didn't feel uncompleted or anything, but they left on good cliffhangers that made me think "Is that the end? Nooooo!"

The poetry is beautiful. There is only about six poems, but they are all unique and nicely paced in their own way. There are also a few different versions of the same poem called 'Words Speak Volumes' and it is basically a random word on each line. Well, not totally random. I noticed that each word related to the one above it. It had me thinking and reading it for ages - the author is a genius!

It was a good, fast read. I read it in one sitting, hooked. After reading a big heavy read, it was nice to have a light collection of easy stories to read. I recommend this to all different kinds of people, as most of the stories are made up of different genres. There are some disturbing things that may upset others however - like a gruesome part about eating humans. Basically, somebody just pulled an arm out of there pocket and started nibbling it (I am not sure if this is a comedy or horror.... both I think....)! Don't expect too much of it, as it is only approximately 70-80 pages, but I really enjoyed it so I do think - if you have an ereader - you should read it. Dear Larissa Hinton, is there any chance for Everblossom 2?!

RATE: 5/5

Publisher: Self

Publication date: 12th August 2011

Pages: 80

Edition: E-Book

Source: For Review
To buy this book click HERE.

In My Mailbox #18

2011-11-13T11:12:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Bookhi's IMM, a meme hosted by The Story Siren. It is where book bloggers post what books they have received that week. I got one print book and two ebooks, so I didn't really see the point in taking a photo, so I put all three book covers together.

Sorry for the bad quality! XD

For Review-

Stained by Mike Mauthor

I have read House Trap which is also by this author and loved it, so I think this one will be just as good too! Thanks to the author for sending me this. :)

Everblossom: A Short Story And Poem Anthology by Larissa Hinton

Thank you to the author for sending me her book! I have already read this and it is AMAZING so my review will be up soon. :)

Won-

The Cate Calisle Files: Deep Water by Isla Whitcroft

Another Girls Heart Book giveaway - whoop whoop! This book looks really good, so I think I will enjoy it.

What did you get this week? Zoe xx

The New Kindle - a review

2011-11-12T12:42:00.000-08:00

from amazon.co.uk - the little beauty :)

If you saw my last In My Mailbox post, you will know that last week I received a Kindle! *happy dance* I am so happy with it I have decided to do a review on it on my blog. So, here we are!

Instead of doing a long boring review which you probably won't reach the end of, I have decided to split it up into bullet points of positives and negatives. Simples.

from amazon.co.uk - small and takes up
hardly any space

from amazon.co.uk - no glare

PROS

No glare, I can read it in the sunlight like a normal book
It is thin and small - easy to travel with
Simple and easy to use; few buttons and easy to create folders etc.
It is created so much like a book: e-ink so no glare and the display flashes like you are turning the page. Apart from the thin device and no covers, it is is so similar to a book :)
Adjustable font size.
You can look up words you don't know.
You can get a new book under 60 seconds.
It can hold 1,400 books in such a light and compact device.
One month battery life.
Loads of books to choose from, and a lot of them a free!
It remembers where you last left off, no need to have a good memory XD

CONS

Some things are easier to read on paper to flick through, e.g. recipe books and manuals.
You have to get an actual light like a real book, it doesn't have the screen like a mobile or iPad
You can't put your own screensaver, you just have to put up with the Amazon ones (personally, I like them but other people have put in reviews that they don't).
Not touch screen - the 5-way-controller is fiddly at first, (but you do get used to it eventually) which makes it a bit of a time waster.
Most of the wallets/sleeves/cases are so expensive on Amazon. (does anybody I know where I can find a cheap but nice one?! I might go browsing on eBay later....)

Comparing the new Kindle with the old Kindle (now called Kindle Keyboard).

I stole my Dad's kindle for the purpose of this review, lol :-D
The new kindle (my one) is on the left.

Comparing the size.

The main difference in obviously the keyboard. This makes the new Kindle smaller, but is smaller better?

If you look carefully though, the screen is still the same size, so you can still read the same amount of text. The space where the keyboard has gone though, leaving room for only a few simple buttons.

The new one is also thinner, but only very slightly. But the size doesn't really bother me, unless it is a big bulky thing!

I think one of the main differences is the price. £89 for this kindle, and £111 for the Keyboard Kindle?! £149 if you get the 3G one!

I also found this on Amazon:

The New Kindle - Lighter, smaller, faster

30% lighter than before, less than 170 grams
18% smaller body, same 6" screen size - fits in your pocket
Most advanced E Ink display, reads like paper
Built-in Wi-Fi - Get books in 60 seconds
10% faster page turns for seamless reading

To buy this product, or for more information, click HERE, where the link will take to the website.

Overall, I am reeeeeeeeally happy with my new ereader! Long live the kindle! Of course, I will definitely be still reading print books, I miss the feel and real smell of them (err, is that weird?) and the lovely covers.... what do you think? Which kindle do you prefer? Is a kindle of any kind your type of ereader? Do you like ereaders at all?

from amazon.co.uk -
the sunlight doesn't
affect reading.

from amazon.co.uk - this could be me
when I was little (okay, I still do this now)

Yoshiko and the Gift of Charms by Julia Suzuki

2011-11-10T12:10:00.000-08:00

Synopsis:

This epic novel, first in the Land of Dragor series, is aimed primarily at eight to twelve year-olds but with appeal for all ages transports the reader to the magical Land of Dragor, where seven dragon clans live hidden from man. Their great war is over and the dragons live peacefully among the smoking mud pools and around The Fire Which Must Never Go Out, but the terrible years when they were enslaved by humans have left a lasting scar and they are told they can never soar above the mountains and leave their safe haven to explore the outside world. There is unease in the air of their mist-filled valley, and the coming of a strange egg heralds a new era. Unlike the normal delicate lilac, this shell is multi-coloured like the contents of a treasure chest. The newborn hatchling is called Yoshiko, but he is immediately treated with suspicion by the elders, and is lucky to survive. The last time a coloured egg was laid, legendary warrior leader Surion was born from a red shell, and with his gift of fire the dragons went to battle with the humans. Will Yoshiko bring a blessing to the clans, or a curse? Could Dragor be about to meet its saviour, or its destroyer?
Chameleon-like Yoshiko is bullied and tormented as he grows up, taunted at fire school as he struggles to produce a jet of flame. Desperate to hide his colour changes, he flees from school one day and finds himself on the fabled mountain of Cattlewick Cave, home to the mysterious and reclusive elder Guya. This chance meeting changes Yoshiko’s life, and as he develops from hatchling to youngling, he is inspired to spread his wings and venture outside Dragor. He returns with magic gifts – but only time will tell if they heal or harm Dragor.

Review:

A fantastic start to the new Dragor series, Yoshiko and the Gift of Charms has certainly convinced me read more of the author's books in the future.

There is a magical land called Dragor, and in that land a mysterious egg is laid. Last time this kind of shell hatched, curses and hardship put the land through a lot of suffrage. But this was centuries ago, surely it can't happen again? The parents are determined not to be superstitious, but when Yoshiko is so different from the rest how can they not wonder?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I recommend this to literally everyone. It is told beautifully, and even though I prefer 1st person to 3rd person, I liked how we got a glimpse of emotions and secrets from all angles and characters.

This book is not only a fun narrative story, it sends out brilliant messages too. For example; "The greatest strength can be the greatest weakness.", "Better to try and fail than never to try." etc.

It also deals with serious issues too; like bullying and not fitting in. Yoshiko feels like he doesn't belong with any of the other dragons. All of them can breathe fire and fly to miles in the sky - while Yoshiko can barely even puff a bit of smoke. Another dragon in the class causes the most bullying, and encourages the others to tease and pick on him. I felt really sorry for him! I just wanted to knock the bullies flat and shout to Yoshiko 'your life is worth living! You are different in a good way from the rest! Don't give up! Ignore them!' Obviously, I couldn't do that . . . . but that is one of the reasons it made me carry on with the story.

To make it even better, the amazing adventure is bounded in a beautiful little red paperback! With a ribbon bookmark ..... very nice!

I hope you enjoyed the book as much as I did if you do read it, it may not be a dystopian YA book that most of you enjoy, but trust me, this is a classic in the making! And come on, who doesn't love dragons?!

RATE: 5/5

Publisher: Steve Brookes

Publication date: 8th April 2011

Pages: 280

Edition: Hardback

Source: For Review
To buy this book click HERE.

Defiance (The Sucessor Series #1) by G.C Naffin

2011-11-07T12:22:00.000-08:00

Synopsis:

When war has taken everything, there is only one choice: be stronger than your enemy.

With her nation at war and her parents lost on the front lines, 16-year-old Vivian must find the strength to leave home and become a spy among her own people. There is only one problem: her parents are the king and queen, and she is their only heir. Vivian vows to discover the people behind their disappearance in the midst of worldwide turmoil, leaving behind her familiar life and entering one she thought she'd never experience. However, Vivian’s title is worth more than just a crown and royal blood. If she falls victim to her parents’ fate, the throne of Iledora will pass to her detestable aunt, and the country could spiral out of control.

Armed only with a new alias, two trusted guards, and her stolid determination, Vivian scours the country for any information that might provide an answer to her parents’ disappearance. But no matter how simple her intentions of returning them to the throne may be, her journey is inevitably complicated by challenges she’d not foreseen: encountering love, trusting in the unknown, and being at the mercy of the Bulvan emperor she swore to conquer...

Review:

Vivian is a sixteen year old girl, but life isn't normal. War has broke in the nation, and she must find her mother and father to gain back their heir to the throne. As she is only young, people don't take her seriously as she endeavours to run the kingdom herself. The journey to find Bulvan emperor is very difficult, as Vivian learns as she travels with Delcan and Revin.

I found this book heard to get into at first, but once I did it was a good read. The story is really well plotted out and I could tell that the author had taken care of even the most tiniest of details.

The one thing that struck me most about when reading this is the detail. It is beautifully written, and G.C Naffin's elaborate writing style is amazing. I felt like I was there, with Vivian every step of the way: feeling her emotions and into the adventure.

The characters are also one of the things that pull this book together. I guess this also collides with detail, because the characters within the story felt so realistic. Declan and Revin are great characters that are so different.

I haven't read many books with a ... 'royal' character before, so I couldn't really settle for believing it. I haven't really got into much historical fiction either, which are mostly about kings and queens. I don't think that makes sense, but I guess everyone's reading taste is different.

I recommend this for all ages, everyone and anyone! Overall, this was an enjoyable read but I bit slow at times. I have high hopes of reading the sequel - and I am sure I speak for many!

RATE: 4/5

Publisher: Self

Publication date: 30th June 2011

Pages: 191
Edition: E-Book
Source: For Review
To buy this book click HERE.

In My Mailbox #17

2011-11-06T08:33:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Bookhi's IMM, a meme hosted by The Story Siren. It is where book bloggers post what books they have received that week. I only got one actual book this week but I did get something totally awesome that is definitely worth mentioning....

Even shiny and prettier in real life ;)

Wings by Aprilynne Pike

I won this book from a giveaway on the Page-Turner blog. This whole series sounds good, and I like the idea of faeries...

Mine mine mine :-D

The New Amazon Kindle!!!

Yayayayayayayayayay! I am so happy that I have finally got my hands on a Kindle of some sort! This is the new one, which is actually cheaper than the old one (now called the Kindle Keyboard). This will be a lot easier than reading from my Kindle on my PC...which means I can accept more ebooks - double yay! :-)

I am planning to post a review of it, so come back soon.

Zoe xx

Cover Crazy: The Declaration by Gemma Malley - which cover?

2011-11-03T13:00:00.000-07:00

**Welcome to Cover Crazy! This is a feature on Bookhi that focuses on nothing but book covers. Most people judge books by their covers, even without realizing; it might not catch their eye or appeal to their reading preference. I will post about new releases, beautiful covers, UK vs US and pretty much anything that takes my fancy to do with them.**

This is the second post on which is going to love at the three different covers one one book. The Declaration by Gemma Malley.

Here is the synopsis:

Anna Covey is a 'Surplus'. She should not have been born. In a society in which ageing is no longer feared, and death is no longer an inevitability, children are an abomination. Like all Surpluses, Anna is living in a Surplus Hall and learning how to make amends for the selfish act her parents committed in having her. She is quietly accepting of her fate until, one day, a new inmate arrives. Anna's life is thrown into chaos. But is she brave enough to believe this mysterious boy? This is a tense and utterly compelling story about a society behind a wall, and the way in which two young people seize the chance to break free.

It sounds brilliant, and is at the top of my wishlist! Have any of you read it? Did you enjoy it?

There are three different covers (as far as I know) and are each fab!

So which one is your favourite?

The first one is good too - it certainly caught my eye when I first saw this book. I think this is the most popular one, and it also matches the rest of the series. The butterfly in the middle is really alluring! I like all the colours and it sounds like it matches the synopsis - mystery, the future, and adventure...

I really like the middle cover, it is simple and attractive. The black and pink really go together. However, it might be a bit girly for the storyline. OK, to be honest, I haven't actually read this, but from the blurb provided I think it sounds more like an adventure and fantasy story.

I don't like the third one as much as the others. I wouldn't really pick it up in a shop, because it isn't really very striking. I do like how the face is looking up though, half covered in a shadow. It got be thinking about the book even more!

Ultimately, I would either pick the first or second one, but if I had to choose one it would be the first one. What about you?

Zoe xx

Interview with author Julia Suzuki

2011-11-01T12:20:00.000-07:00

Julia is the author of the book Yoshiko and the Gift Of Charms. It is a brand new inspirational children's book, aimed at 8-14 years but suitable to everyone. She has been described as 'the new JK Rowling' by The Daily Mail and has the potential to make it as a bestseller. The book is on my way, so a review will be up soon!

How would you describe your book in one word?
Magical

What inspired the Land Of Dragor?
My inspiration came from a childhood love of nature, the outdoors and adventure and the love of creating something that will make a difference in people’s lives, both to inspire and escape. I aimed to produce something that included what I had learned through life in the hope it would help others overcome difficulties. I also wanted to create a magical place (Dragor) that filled everyone who read it with warmth as though they were there. Like the feeling of home.

Who do you recommend the series for?
All ages who have read my book have loved it - though the target is 8 to 14, it has something for everyone. The series grows with three children who come to be the heroes in Book 2 so there is ever-growing intrigue. The children live in Stratford Upon Avon, Shakespeare’s town, and each have their own interests and important talents and purposes that play out.

When you are not writing, what do you like to do?
I have an absolute passion for fashion, I design all my own clothes and enjoy all sports and particularly tennis. I also love to bake... cakes especially, which my ten-year-old son likes to do with me. I do like a good evening of junk TV, especially Strictly Come Dancing as dance is a big hobby too. I have a national dance competition running in line with the book...on Facebook it is promoted as 'Dragor Dream Dancer'.

What is it like, publishing a book?
I always say to people it’s like being pregnant, you go through all kind of worries, doubts and excitement. It seems to take forever, and sometimes you get tired. Right at the end it can be painful, late nights of editing and deadlines. And then finally comes joy when you have finished and got it out :). Then you feel you should go for your second!

Do you have any tips for aspiring writers?
Follow your dream, be persistent, take advice and listen to your heart. If you have talent and vision keep going and turn every stone. Be as imaginative and unconventional as possible to get noticed!

What is your favourite book and why?
The Enid Blyton books, 'The Enchanted Wood'. They open up the mind and imagination to all possibilities which has to be a good thing for a child. I particularly like the fascinating character 'The Saucepan Man'. He is scary but likeable.

QUICK FIRE QUESTIONS:
Read or write? Write
Cats or dogs? Dogs
Black or pink? Pink
Music or TV? Music

Thanks, Julia! :-)

In My Mailbox #16

2011-10-30T11:15:00.000-07:00

IMM is hosted by The Story Siren. It is a meme which book bloggers take part in to show what books they have received that week.

Sorry that it is the wrong way round...I can't figure out
how to rotate it! :P

For Review:

Yoshiko And The Gift Of Charms by Julia Suzuki

This sounds good, the author has been described as "the new JK" - sounds good already!

Swapped:

Numbers by Rachel Ward

Thanks Clover at Fluttering Butterflies for the brilliant swap! This sounds amazing, I can't wait to read it.

Borrowed:

The Truth About Celia Frost by Paula Rawsthorne

I wasn't too sure about this book at first, but I got it out the library to have a go. I am glad I did because it is brilliant! I am currently reading it, but it is hard to stop because there are so many cliff-hangers. Go and read this - now!

The Immortals: Evermore by Alyson Noel

I haven't read any of this series before, *guilty face*, so I have decided to stop hesitating and go for it. I saw this book in the library, and I am looking forward to see what I think.

I got some awesome books this week. What did you get? Zoe xx

Interview with blogger Beth from Page-Turner

2011-10-27T10:24:00.000-07:00

Beth and I became pen pals through both contacting the author, Jean Ure. I told her about my blog and encouraged her to create her own - and Page-Turner book blog was born! She is a really nice person, and I am really happy to interview her today on my blog. :-)

Hi Beth, what is your favourite thing about blogging?
My favourite thing about blogging is probably the reaction I get. Since I just only set up my blog I don't have many followers yet but that just makes it even more special when I get a nice comment or a new follower. I also love all the great feedback I get from authors I ask to interview! They're so nice about my blog and are really helpful when I interview them.

What is your favourite book?
Oooo you're evil! :) I have a TON of favourite books, I absolutely loved the whole HUNGER GAMES SERIES, Matched by Ally Condie was amazing and so was Between Shades Of Grey
by Ruta Sepetys. The Missing series by Sophie Mckenzie are A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!

Which book can't you wait to be released?
Crossed by Ally Condie!! And I absolutely cant wait! Its the sequel to Matched by Ally Condie and its out on the 1st of November! So it's going to be released soon!
This doesn't count as a book but the Hunger Games movie is out on the 23rd of March and I cant wait for it!!

Do you write as well as read?
Yes I do love to write as well as read! But I think the reason I write is BECAUSE of reading, I get lots of ideas, inspiration from books and that is the main reason I started my blog,
because I read and write at the same time!! That's why I like reviewing so much because its writing and reading put together!

If you could spend a day with any fictional character, who would it be and why?
Probably Anna in The Declaration series or Katniss from The Hunger Games. Anna because of her nice personality and I would probably try and get her to tell me what comes next in her book series!! :) Katniss because she's probably the character who's been through so much heart-break in her books and she'd be interesting to get to know.

What do you like to do as well as read and blog?
They're both probably my two favourite things but I also like to write and do big art and craft projects at home like creating scrapbooks and posters. I'm also a computer addict!

If you were running out of a burning building, which book would you grab and why?
Probably The Hunger games or Sister, Missing by Sophie McKenzie. The Hunger Games because its quite a long book and I could read it 1 billion times and I won't get bored! Sister, Missing because I can re-read it without getting bored and it was such an amazing book!

If you had one day to live, what would you do?
Read, read, read and read some more!!! I would spend a couple of hours packing, getting all my books together and I would go to my local ice-cream shop and buy ice cream and read a book! (Whilst watching X-Factor!!)

QUICK QUESTIONS:
Read or write? - Mmmmm.....Read!
Crisps or chocolate? That's hard! Probably chocolate though :)
Romance or action? A couple of months ago that would have been straight-away romance but recently I've read some brilliant action books - but probably romance!
Music or TV? I love both but it would have to be TV.
Favourite colour? Gold :)

Thank you, Beth!
Thanks for interviewing me, Zoe!

Book Bargains and Giveaways

2011-10-22T12:57:00.000-07:00

Thought that title might catch your eye! This is a short post to tell you a few book bargains and some great giveaways other blogs are hosting.

I am going to start with a money-saving site, The Book People.

Dark Touch Trilogy - 3 books for £4.99!

With breathtaking storylines that teenagers will love, the Dark Touch Trilogy is packed with dark romance and supernatural powers. Written by Amy Meredith, these action-filled novels are sure to be enjoyed by young adults and fans of the sort of demons and other-worldly beings featured in popular series such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Charmed and Twilight. Following 15 year-old Eve Evergold, the Dark Touch series sees her discover that only she has the power to defeat an evil demon who happens to be closer to her than she ever could have imagined. A thrilling set that proves there’s something very attractive about the dark side!

http://www.thebookpeople.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/qs_product_tbp?storeId=10001&catalogId=10051&langId=100&productId=223383&searchTerm=love+trilogy

Love Stories - 3 books for £3!
Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights

Shameless exploitation or clever repackaging designed to entice young Twilight fans into a world of classic literature? We've debated this at length and concluded that we love the modern look of these books and thoroughly support any device that gets such wonders of fiction into the receptive hands of young adults! Storytelling that absolutely stands the test of time, these books are certain to find their way into the hearts of a whole new generation of readers.

http://www.thebookpeople.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/qs_product_tbp?storeId=10001&catalogId=10051&langId=100&productId=197368&searchTerm=pride+and+pejudice

Hush, Hush Set - 2 books for £3.99!

This set of novels includes Becca Fitzpatrick’s Hush, Hush and Crescendo. Things are becoming very strange for Nora Grey. First a mysterious stalker follows her car and then he breaks into her house and attacks her best friend Vi. Nora suspects that the culprit could be bad boy Patch, but there are other suspects too, in particular a new boy who has been wrongly accused of murdering his girlfriend. Who is the stalker and what do they want? One thing is for sure, someone is going to get hurt. These two thrilling stories of fallen angels are ideal for Twilight fans to get their teeth into!

http://www.thebookpeople.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/qs_product_tbp?storeId=10001&catalogId=10051&langId=100&productId=232226&atc=4464c3973b1599bf187c96690e304d81

More great offers from TBP:

The Book People are not the only great online book shop - The Book Depository offers free worldwide shipping! :-O

Now, onto the giveaways! Yep, free books!

Books For Company - Blogoversary Giveaway
Choose from 12 books! There are two giveaways, one international and one UK and you can enter them both providing you live in the UK. You could be one of four winners!

The Story Siren - ARC Giveaway
A big box of Kristi's arc copies could be yours! The competition is international, and you have to be 13 or older.

BelleBooks: 800 Followers Giveaway
Fancy getting a book of your choice from up to £10? This book blog is offering one lucky international reader a book from The Book Depository...tempting, isn't it?!

The Great, The Good and The Bad - 700 Followers Giveaway
There are six awesome YA books to choose from - another cool international giveaway!

Book Passion For Life - 900 Follower Giveaway
Six prize packs to choose from for one international winner...yep, you heard me right!

Yaaholic - 900 Follower Giveaway
Eight bundle packs - mermaid packs, angel packs, dystopia bundle packs....loads! Enter now!

Gripped Into Books - One Year Blogoversary
Simple but awesome - win one book of your choice of up to £15. Again, this one is also international! Yay!

For a full list of lots more UK giveaways, click here to go to the official blog! After all, who doesn't like free books?!

Cover Crazy: Beautiful Covers

2011-10-19T10:38:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the first post of my new feature, Cover Crazy! Most people judge books by their covers, even without realizing; it might not catch their eye or appeal to their reading preference. I will post about new releases, beautiful covers, UK vs US and pretty much anything that takes my fancy to do with them.

The first post will be just a few book covers that I love. I will make the first post short and simple with a few pictures and words of my opinions - feel free to comment below and tell me what you think of them. :)

The Hematoi descend from the unions of gods and mortals, and the children of two Hematoi-pure-bloods-have godlike powers. Children of Hematoi and mortals-well, not so much. Half-bloods only have two options: become trained Sentinels who hunt and kill daimons or become servants in the homes of the pures.Seventeen-year-old Alexandria would rather risk her life fighting than waste it scrubbing toilets, but she may end up slumming it anyway. There are several rules that students at the Covenant must follow. Alex has problems with them all, but especially rule #1:Relationships between pures and halfs are forbidden.Unfortunately, she's crushing hard on the totally hot pure-blood Aiden. But falling for Aiden isn't her biggest problem--staying alive long enough to graduate the Covenant and become a Sentinel is. If she fails in her duty, she faces a future worse than death or slavery: being turned into a daimon, and being hunted by Aiden. And that would kind of suck.

When I first saw this cover my first thought was .... wow. The way the flower is designed in beautiful - like magic. Plus, it is PURPLE!

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.

This is the long-awaited sequel to the bestseller, Divergent. When that book came out, the whole book blogging community went crazy! I love this cover. The tree is really eye-catching, I like how it goes into a circle, with the leaves scattered around it.

Because of a thousand-year-old alliance between humans and pagasi, Princess Sylviianel is ceremonially bound to Ebon, her own Pegasus, on her twelfth birthday. The two species coexist peacefully, despite the language barriers separating them. Humans and pegasi both rely on specially-trained Speaker magicians as the only means of real communication.

But its different for Sylvi and Ebon. They can understand each other. They quickly grow close-so close that their bond becomes a threat to the status quo-and possibly to the future safety of their two nations.

I think this book cover is gorgeous! The sun is peeking over the clouds and the bird souring into the sky is beautiful. Don't you just want to be there?! The girl's dress sweeps behind her, and I think that is really effective. The font is amazing too - swirly writing is lovely!

Jenni and Autumn have always been best friends, but a tragedy looms that will leave their friendship in tatters - unless Jenni can find a way to escape time and change the future.

This cover is one of my favourites! I think the colours, font, silhouettes, the autumn leaves and everything fits together. It is even prettier in real life! I really like how the illustrator shows the characters as silhouettes - I am not really a fan of people being shown on the cover (but sometimes it does work). I like the quote at the top too, everything really pushes me to read it.

Twelve-year-old Mira comes from a chaotic, artistic and outspoken family where it’s not always easy to be heard. As her beloved Nana Josie's health declines, Mira begins to discover the secrets of those around her, and also starts to keep some of her own. She is drawn to mysterious Jidé, a boy who is clearly hiding a troubled past and has grown hardened layers - like those of an artichoke - around his heart. As Mira is experiencing grief for the first time, she is also discovering the wondrous and often mystical world around her.

Yes, another beautiful cover! There is so much to look at on the page. I love the doodles, and the different landscapes printed on, like the two characters sitting on the bench are looking at their life. Again - more swirly writing! I like how the artichoke charm is hanging off the letters too. I have read it, and loved the story as much as the cover!

Jane says that friendship is the finest balm for the pangs of disappointed love...When shy Jenny Cooper goes to stay with her cousin Jane Austen she knows nothing of the world of beautiful dresses, dances, secrets, gossip and romance that Jane inhabits. But Jane is already a sharp observer of the customs of courtship, and when Jenny falls utterly in love with the dashing Captain Thomas Williams, who better than Jane to help her win the heart of this most eligible of men?

There are a couple more versions of this book cover but I think this one is my favourite. I like the flower along the left, almost like drooping over the cover. The curly writing is exquisite, and the pink adds the girly side of the book. I also like the lock hanging off the flowers; of which I am guessing is Jane Austen!

What if you could change your friends' lives and loves through the settings of a computer game...?

Lex Murphy's group of friends have all dated, hated, ignored and lusted after each other for the last few years. If only there was a way of matching people perfectly to avoid all the unrequited love, dumping and drama! Then Lex's friend George is given a mysterious Sims-like game by his software-testing dad which involves building character profiles in the categories of Life, Looks and Love. Lex and George populate the game with avatars for all their mates, making a few 'wishful thinking' adjustments to the settings - and find that the next day these tinkerings have come true! But how long can this new calm, loved-up atmosphere continue?

Another spectacular Luisa Plaja novel to look forward too! This cover was released several weeks ago, and it certainly grabbed my attention. The colours are all really striking. I like how the cover is pixalated, and the characters and font are really effective. I can't wait for February 2012!

As I said, this post is only a little introduction, so I didn't put much about what I thought on the covers. I hope you love them all as much as I do. There are specific ones I have left off the list, because they will be in a different post for another reason!

Zoe xx

The 100 YA Book List

2011-10-18T11:41:00.000-07:00

This list of the Top 100 YA Books is... well ... the top 100 YA books! A few book blogs have done this ages ago, and I kept on meaning to post it but I forgot. Then another blog (The Beacoup Review, fab blog) updated theirs and I decided to do one on Bookhi.
The bold books are the ones I have read, the italic are the ones I want to read, and the underlined ones are the ones on my TBR pile.

Alex Finn – Beastly
Alice Sebold – The Lovely Bones
Ally Carter – Gallagher Girls (1, 2, 3, 4)
Ally Condie – Matched
Alyson Noel – The Immortals (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
Anastasia Hopcus – Shadow Hills
Angie Sage – Septimus Heap (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
Ann Brashares – The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (1, 2, 3, 4)
Anna Godbersen – Luxe (1, 2, 3, 4)
Anthony Horowitz – Alex Rider (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
Aprilynne Pike – Wings (1, 2, 3)
Becca Fitzpatrick – Hush, Hush (1, 2)
Brandon Mull – Fablehaven (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
Brian Selznick – The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Cassandra Clare – The Mortal Instruments (1, 2, 3, 4)
Carrie Jones – Need (1, 2, 3)
Carrie Ryan – The Forest of Hands and Teeth (1, 2, 3, 4)
Christopher Paolini – Inheritance (1, 2, 3, 4)
Cinda Williams Chima – The Heir Chronicles (1, 2, 3)
Colleen Houck – Tigers Saga (1, 2)
Cornelia Funke – Inkheart (1, 2, 3)
Ellen Hopkins – Impulse
Eoin Colfer – Artemis Fowl (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
Faraaz Kazi – Truly, Madly, Deeply
Frank Beddor – The Looking Glass Wars (1, 2, 3)
Gabrielle Zevin – Elsewhere
Gail Carson Levine – Fairest
Holly Black – Tithe (1, 2, 3)
J.K. Rowling – Harry Potter (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
James Dashner – The Maze Runner (1, 2)
James Patterson – Maximum Ride (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
Jay Asher – Thirteen Reasons Why
Jeanne DuPrau – Books of Ember (1, 2, 3, 4)
Jeff Kinney – Diary of a Wimpy Kid (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, )
John Boyne – The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
John Green – An Abundance of Katherines
John Green – Looking for Alaska
John Green – Paper Towns
Jonathan Stroud – Bartimaeus (1, 2, 3, 4)
Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl – Caster Chronicles (1, 2)
Kelley Armstrong – Darkest Powers (1, 2, 3)
Kristin Cashore – The Seven Kingdoms (1, 2)
Lauren Kate – Fallen (1, 2, 3)
Lemony Snicket – Series of Unfortunate Events (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
Libba Bray – Gemma Doyle (1, 2, 3)
Lisa McMann – Dream Catcher (1, 2, 3)
Louise Rennison – Confessions of Georgia Nicolson (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
M.T. Anderson – Feed
Maggie Stiefvater – The Wolves of Mercy Falls (1, 2, 3)
Margaret Peterson Haddix – Shadow Children (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
Maria V. Snyder – Study (1, 2, 3)
Markus Zusak – The Book Thief
Markus Zusak – I am the Messenger
Mark Haddon – The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
Mary Ting – Crossroads
Maureen Johnson – Little Blue Envelope (1, 2)
Meg Cabot – All-American Girl (1, 2)
Meg Cabot – The Mediator (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
Meg Cabot – The Princess Diaries (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
Meg Rosoff – How I Live Now
Megan McCafferty – Jessica Darling (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
Megan Whalen Turner – The Queen’s Thief (1, 2, 3, 4)
Melina Marchetta – On the Jellicoe Road
Melissa de la Cruz – Blue Bloods (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
Melissa Marr – Wicked Lovely (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
Michael Grant – Gone (1, 2, 3, 4)
Nancy Farmer – The House of the Scorpion
Neal Shusterman – Unwind
Neil Gaiman – Coraline
Neil Gaiman – Stardust
Neil Gaiman – The Graveyard Book
P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast – House of Night (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
Philip Pullman – His Dark Materials (1, 2, 3)
Rachel Caine – The Morganville Vampires (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
Rachel Cohn & David Levithan – Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist
Richelle Mead – Vampire Academy (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
Rick Riordan – Percy Jackson and the Olympians (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
Rom LcO’Feer – Somewhere Carnal Over 40 Winks
S.L. Naeole – Grace (1, 2, 3, 4)
Sabrina Bryan & Julia DeVillers – Princess of Gossip
Sarah Dessen – Along for the Ride
Sarah Dessen – Lock and Key
Sarah Dessen – The Truth about Forever
Sara Shepard – Pretty Little Liars (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
Scott Westerfeld – Leviathan (1, 2)
Scott Westerfeld – Uglies (1, 2, 3)
Shannon Hale – Books of a Thousand Days
Shannon Hale – Princess Academy
Shannon Hale – The Books of Bayern (1, 2, 3, 4)
Sherman Alexie & Ellen Forney – The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Simone Elkeles – Perfect Chemistry (1, 2, 3)
Stephenie Meyer – The Host
Stephenie Meyer – Twilight Saga (1, 2, 3, 4)
Sue Monk Kidd – The Secret Life of Bees
Susan Beth Pfeffer – Last Survivors (1, 2, 3)
Suzanne Collins – Hunger Games (1, 2, 3)
Suzanne Collins – Underland Chronicles (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
Terry Pratchett – Tiffany Aching (1, 2, 3, 4)
Tonya Hurley – Ghost Girl (1, 2, 3)
Wendelin Van Draanen – Flipped

Now that I look at it, I haven't read that many at all! Eek. I better go and get on with reading then...

Zoe xx

Hal Junior: The Secret Signal by Simon Haynes

2011-10-17T11:29:00.000-07:00

Synopsis

Hal Junior lives aboard a futuristic space station. His mum is chief scientist, his dad cleans air filters and his best mate is Stephen 'Stinky' Binn.

As for Hal ... he's a bit of a trouble magnet. He means well, but his wild schemes and crazy plans never turn out as expected!

Hal Junior: The Secret Signal features mayhem and laughs, daring and intrigue ... plus a home-made space cannon!

Review

I loved this book! It had everything a 8-12 year old boy would want - adventure, comedy and awesome future gadgets. Hal Junior is a young boy with aspiring dreams of becoming an astronaut, with a bit of a habit of causing trouble. He goes to school in a space station, with his best mate Stinky - together they are unstoppable!

A school trip to the spaceship leads to trouble straight away, as Hal and Stinky discover everyone is in danger. Can they save everyone, crack his Mum's Morse code message, persuade the talking spaceship to help, destroy the enemy and get his chemistry homework correct? Doubt it!

As I started reading I knew I was going to finish this is one sitting - and I did! Haynes writing is gripping, and he has the created the perfect characters to fit in with the story. I felt like I was there; holding my breath when Hal landed in danger and witnessing his adventure.

I can't write this review without telling you how funny this book is - Hal is hilarious! I found myself laughing out loud when he messed up, or Stinky says something ironic. There is one chapter of which Hal is answering the teacher's questions in class and he says really stupid (but logical...I guess) and he cannot understand why the class are laughing!

Overall, this book is a must-read for boys who enjoy sci-fi aged 8-12 years old. I found it entertaining as a light read for myself (being a 13 year old girl) so I pretty much recommend this to everyone. Bring on book two!

RATE: 5/5

Publisher: Bowman Press

Publication date: October 1st 2011
Pages: 186
Edition: Paperback
Source: For Review
To buy this book click HERE.

In My Mailbox #15

2011-10-16T08:34:00.000-07:00

I haven't done an IMM for ages! These books are over the period of two weeks. This meme is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. It is where book blogs share what books they have received that week (not necessarily through their mailbox!).

For Review-

India Dark by Kirsty Murray

I can't wait to read this, it sounds amazing! I got this ARC to review for a possible blog tour in January, thanks Templar!

Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs

To make sense for when I read the next one, Templar publishers sent me this to review the sequel. It looks brilliant!

Fins Are Forever by Tera Lynn Childs

Thanks again, Templar. This isn't out until April-May, so I don't have to read it straight away, but it looks so good I might be tempted to read it sooner!

Hal Junior: The Secret Signal by Simon Hayes

I have already read this one, so look out for a review later. It is really good, thanks to the author for mailing this to me :)

Marina's Tales #3: The Fate Of The Muse by Derrolyn Anderson

I loved the first two in the series, so I was very excited when the author contacted me that she has finished the third book!

Bought-

The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

After all the brilliant reviews (and there are a LOT) I couldn't resist buying the boxset. I can't wait to start reading them!

Library-

Noughts & Crosses by Malorie Blackman

As you can probably see, this book isn't in the image above, because I already had to take it back to the library! I LOVED IT! Malorie Blackman's writing is phenomenal. I think this book deserves a 100/100!

What did you get this week? I am really happy with the books I have, too many books so little time! Zoe xx

Blog Update

2011-10-11T13:29:00.000-07:00

Hi guys! I thought I would do this post as a catch-up and update. First things first, I have just started a new school year of which involve *gulp* exams. I am SO sorry I haven't been posting as much as I usually do! I promise I will leave more time for blogging and reviewing; ex-brownies honour.

'Which Cover?' has now been changed to 'Cover Crazy'. Not only has the title changed, but the feature has too. Before I posted it once a month, but from now on I will post the feature whenever I like. It is not just debating about choosing between certain covers either, now it can be on anything to do with book covers. New releases, UK vs UK, my favourite designs, etc. The first post of this should be up sometime next week. :c)

You have probably noticed that Fiction Express' 'Rémy Brunel and the Ocean of Light' has now finished it's reviews, the book has ended - sob! However, you can look forward to new releases on the site soon and of which I will be carrying on with the reviews. Like before, I may miss one week out and do a catch-up review of the chapters the next week. Some of you may not know what I am talking about, but if you scroll down the page you can find some of my previous reviews.

The lovely Kirsty from The Overflowing Library sent me an e-mail a few days ago asking for me to take part in her weekly feature 'Bookcase Showcase'. I will hopefully be showing off my bookshelves this week, but it all depends what she has in line. I will edit this post when I know! ;-)

Thanks for reaching the end of this blog post, hope you are still reading Bookhi after my lack of posts lately! Thanks everyone and happy reading,

Zoe xx

Jack Christie #3: Day Of Vengeance by Johnny O' Brien.

2011-10-06T11:37:00.000-07:00

Synopsis

Schoolboy time-traveller Jack Christie is thrown back to 1940s Nazi-occupied France. With the Battle of Britain and the German Vengeance programme underway, the Second World War is at a crucial point. Jack and his best friend Angus take a more senior role in VIGIL's attempts to prevent intervention in history, attempting to stop the Revisionists from their highly volatile nuclear plan to stop the war. With spitfire dogfights, jeep races and thrilling chases, the boys have their most hair-raising adventure yet, including involvement in an assassination attempt on Hitler himself. Just as all seems lost, Jack's father returns and a nuclear disaster is averted in the nick of time.

Review

This is the third installment of Johnny O' Brien's great Jack Christie novels, followed by Day of Assassins and Day Of Deliverance. In my opinion, this is probably my favourite one out of them all!

Jack and Angus go back in time again as they plan to stop WWII going nuclear. They are thrown back to the 1940s in France and are in the middle of a crucial point of the war. As The Battle of Britain is getting more intense, Angus and Jack plan to assassinate Hitler himself. Could this change history forever?

I think the most powerful part of this book that made me stick with it all the way through is the characters. Jack is the kind of hero you expect in an action book - fearless, strong and intelligent. On the other hand, Angus lacks Jack's brains but is also funny and loyal. They made the perfect team throughout the books. I liked all the other characters too - old and new. I think my favourite is Sophie, particularly at the end. It is an 'awww!' moment!!

I still found this book slightly complicated, like I did with the others. It is probably just me (!) but I found some of it confusing at times. For example; the war weaponry terms, various names and specific things in the book which I didn't understand. This did not stop me from enjoying the story, and I could still see what was happening.

You do not have to read the first two to be able to read this one, but I do recommend reading them also! I think this book will be best for boys around 9-13 - and girls too! Basically, anyone who enjoys action, thrilling chases and history.

RATE: 4/5

Publisher: Templar

Publication date: 1st August 2011

Pages: 208

Edition: Paperback

Source: For Review

To buy this book click HERE.

Rémy Brunel and the Ocean of Light: Chapter 10 & 11

2011-10-01T13:55:00.000-07:00

**Fiction Express is an e-fiction site where each chapter is released every Friday. When you have read that chapter, you can vote to what happens next! The first chapter is for free, and the next ten chapters are from 59p. I recommend the site 100% and I suggest you check out the brilliant books they have on offer.**

My previous reviews:
Chapter 1, click here. Chapter 2, click here. Chapter 3, click here. Chapter 4, click here. Chapter 5, click here. Chapter 6, click here.
Chapter 7, click here. Chapter 8, click here. Chapter 9, click here.

Chapter 10 Review:

Wow, chapter ten already?! A great chapter too. It is full of action as the tunnels are about to flood and Rémy needs to act fast. Thaddeus and Desai luckily escape themselves and I was beginning to worry about all the other characters. I don't know if it was me forcing myself to read faster to find out the end or that the story is getting a faster pace and it goes on, but I couldn't stop reading! I think this is probably my favourite chapter... YET.

Chapter 11 Review

I was dying to read this book but I also was sad to see the book end. I can't actually express how much I love this chapter.... it was INCREDIBLE! After reading the previous chapter, I just couldn't predict the ending at all. Rémy and Thaddeus' relationship is amazing, I was sitting on the edge of my seat desperate for them to become a couple. After all the life-risking things and friendship, there is still the matter of the jewel - hence the title of the book! She sees it finally gets her hands on the thing that has caused the adventure but then it might not be so easy. Thaddeus is blamed for stealing it and she has to save him. The epilogue (three months later) is brilliant too, and how it was told. It kind of left on a cliff-hanger which meant lots of ways for the story to go. Even though this the last chapter I know it is not the end of Rémy..!!

Chrononsphere Book Two: Malfunction by Alex Woolf

2011-09-25T12:59:00.000-07:00

The second book in the exciting Chronosphere series sees a mysterious malfunction ravage the Chronosphere. It starts slowly at first, with meals being served cold and food going off, then residents start to notice the blistering heat and haywire android servants. Soon the entire Chronosphere is malfunctioning, causing a complete breakdown of society and the eruption of a fierce turf war between rival gangs. Caught in the middle of the crossfire are Raffi Delgado and his fellow chrononauts Dario, Sal, Jonah and Lastara. With the help of familiar faces and old enemies, they put into place a brave rescue attempt, but in doing so the dark truth about the source of the Malfunction and the real aims of the Chronomaster become all too clear.

I like to vary my book genres, and I thought this sci-fi book sounded great. Raffi Delgado lives in the world, Chrononsphere - a world that moves a million times slower than in real life. The whole idea is so orginal. It is one of those stories where you are baffled how the authors can come up with these brilliant ideas.

The first novel in the series, Time Out Of Time, is where the main character (Raffi) is on the verge of entering adulthood so buys back a year of his life so is shown the Chrononsphere. I found that the plot made sense without reading the first book before this one, but I recommend the first one too. They are a compelling and inventive series that will blow your mind.

The only thing I found difficult about this book was ... well ... the words. I didn't know what most of them meant - not as in complicated vocabulary, but the sci-fi related language that I didn't know what the characters were talk about. This is only a minor point, because there is a dictionary at the back of the book with definitions. Unfortunately, I only discovered this when I had finished reading!

This book is perfect for sci-fi lovers, or for anyone who likes to read stories 'out of this world' kind of stuff. I thought most of it was gripping, but the characters were slightly confusing. I think this would be fine for both genders, but perhaps 11+ would find it a more comprehendable read.

RATE: 3.5/5

Publisher: Book House

Publication date: 1st September 2011

Pages: 240

Edition: Paperback

Source: For Review

To buy this book click HERE.

Rémy Brunel and the Ocean of Light: Chapter 8 & 9

2011-09-22T13:18:00.000-07:00

**Fiction Express is an e-fiction site where each chapter is released every Friday. When you have read that chapter, you can vote to what happens next! The first chapter is for free, and the next ten chapters are from 59p. I recommend the site 100% and I suggest you check out the brilliant books they have on offer Please be aware that my review may have spoilers of previous chapters, but not the current one.**

My previous reviews:
Chapter 1, click here. Chapter 2, click here. Chapter 3, click here. Chapter 4, click here. Chapter 5, click here. Chapter 6, click here.
Chapter 7, click here.

Chapter 8 review:
After the mega cliff-hanger on chapter 7, I couldn't wait to read this one! Is this the end?! Gosling's writing is really gripping; the kind that makes you sit on the edge of your seat. I felt like I was in the book, experiencing the adventure that Rémy was having. I liked the way how the author writes and the clever things she does to making it believable. Near the end, Rémy has to decide between Thaddeus or Abernathy. After everything she has been through, she has to make a big choice.

Chapter 9 review:

It is strange how I am empathising with Rémy, because she and I are so different (for starters, she is a thief...). But I feel like I am actually there in the story. At the beginning, I kept wondering is Rémy had made the right decision, and if Abernathy is the real villain. She manages to work out the truth, and bumps into the Professor along the way. He gives her some shocking news about what will happen to J and Thaddeus. She must make another choice to either save either one or neither of them. Will friendship triumph?

Zoe x

In My Mailbox #14

2011-09-18T07:49:00.000-07:00

IMM is hosted by The Story Siren. It is meme some bloggers take part in to show what books they have recieved that week.

For Review-

Defiance by G.C Naffin

Thanks to Rachel for letting the author know about my blog, and to the actual author for giving me this e-book to review. It looks really good, I can't wait to start it. :)

Won-

Sean Griswold's Head by Lindsey Leavitt

This looks like a really cute and funny read, I think I will enjoy this!

Bought-

Sister, Missing by Sophie McKenzie

Yay!!! After reading Girl, Missing I was anticepating for the release of this sequel. I completely forgot I had pre-ordered it months ago so it was an awesome surprise when I opened my package! :-D

Zoe x

PS. Sorry for not posting for the last week, homework is taking over my blogging time!! But come back today because I might be able to post reviews Chapter 8 & 9 of Rémy later! Thanks. =)

In My Mailbox #13

2011-09-11T05:30:00.000-07:00

IMM is hosted by The Story Siren. It is a meme some bloggers take part in to share what books they have received in any form that week. This week I received seven books, which makes up for the fact of going back to school!

Divine Freaks by Fiona Dunbar

I have seen good reviews of this book so when I saw it in the library I thought I might as well pick it up!

Spy Girl: Out Of The Shadows by Carol Hedges

I am not sure if this is the first in the series or not, but it looks good anyway. I like books like this so I think I will enjoy it.

Traitor's Kiss by Pauline Francis

I don't usually read historical fiction, but I think this sounds interesting. That is the good thing about libraries; if you don't like this book you can just bring it back, free of charge!

Love, Aubrey by Suzanne LeFleaur

I have read tons of good reviews about this book, and when I saw it the store for a £1, and I thought: why not?

Pride And Prejudice by Jane Austen

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

These three came together for £3!! The Book People, an amazing website, offers great book bargains. I saw this on a great book blog Mostly Reading YA, and I couldn't refuse!

So, I have bought four books this week for £4, not bad! What have you received in your mailbox?

Interview with author, Luisa Plaja

2011-09-09T10:50:00.000-07:00

I have the privilege today to interview awesome Luisa Plaja! She is the author of three published novels; Split By A Kiss, Swapped By A Kiss and Extreme Kissing. She also wrote the e-book Diary Of A Mall Girl on Fiction Express and a short story in Truth & Dare. Her upcoming novel Kiss, Date, Love, Hate is due out in 2012 and I am sure you are just as excited as I am! She is the proud editor of Chicklish, a UK teen fiction site, and posts on Girls Heart Books. Altogether she is SUPER nice person and who is always there for her readers. Basically, she is just awesome, so read the interview below!! :-D

1. Hi, Luisa! *waves and passes a cookie* Have you always wanted to be a writer?
Hi, Zoe! *accepts cookie gratefully and waves back* Yes, I have. I fell in love with books at an early age and I've always loved writing my own stories as well as reading other people's. I used to think that having a novel published was just a dream, though. I'm so glad I was wrong. *huge crumb-filled smile*

2. Me too! So,when you are not writing, what do you like to do?

Read! And talk about books. I run a book blog called Chicklish and I help out with teen book clubs in libraries and schools. I also dance in front of the Wii and defy anyone to touch my Beyonce high score. *waggles imaginary nunchuck in tragically non-Beyonce way*

3. Has anyone inspired you at all or has been your role-model?
Probably everything I've ever read has inspired me! There are so many writers I admire, and so many novels I read again and again. One author whose books I've adored for years is Meg Cabot, and I was beyond thrilled when she read Split by a Kiss and said lovely things about it on her blog. My wonderful writer friends inspire me every day, as do my equally wonderful non-writer friends and family. (Sniff. Thank you!)

4. How did it feel when you had your first book published?
Amazing, brilliant, fantastic... Am sort of tempted to copy in an entire thesaurus entry now but will sum it up as: just WOW.

5. If you had to convince a non-reader to read, what would you say?
What a great question. (What would YOU say?) I think something along the lines of: There's something for everyone in the world of books. You might like memoirs that are absorbing and moving... or fact-based books that make you think and learn... or stories that scare you, or make you cry, or make you laugh. Or maybe all of the above, or something different? Browse around for books that suit you and don't let anyone tell you that any one kind of book is worth less than any other kind. Reading opens up worlds and stretches your imagination, and it's always worthwhile. Read! I promise you won't regret it.
Then I would probably add, "But it's up to you, of course." ;)

6. If you could meet any character from your books, who would it be?

Ooh, another great question! I'd love to meet any of my characters. I'd probably have to put up with some harsh words from some of them. Rachel from Swapped by a Kiss, for example - I bet she'd have something outspoken to say about the way I wrote her. So would Lex from Kiss Date Love Hate, for that matter, but she'd be more wary of me. I should stop now for fear of sounding (overly) weird. But, truly, what a wonderful question.

7. Which one of your books was the most fun to write?
Wow, this is hard. Writing all my books has been fun, and has also caused major headaches at times. Maybe instead of singling out any one book, I'll talk about my favourite part to write: endings. I've really enjoyed writing the endings of all my books, including the e-book Diary of a Mall Girl where I was steered by readers.

8. Could you tell us a bit about your current book you are working on?
I'm working on something a tiny bit different and, um, something else. Hmm, that's all very vague, isn't it? Sorry. Well, I can say that I'll always love writing books about teenagers and relationships. :x (smiley of mystery)

9. Have you ever had writers block?

LP's latest book - isn't the cover so cute?!

I'm not sure if it's writers' block exactly, but I've definitely stalled at various points in most of the books I've written. I dedicated Split by a Kiss "to the people who got me out of the ice rink" because I was stuck on Jo's ice rink scene for months. Eventually, many wonderful people helped me come unstuck - er, in a good way - and finish that novel. Taking some pressure off always helps, and I highly recommend fun writing challenges such as NaNoWriMo (http://www.nanowrimo.org).

10. Quick Fire Questions:
Facebook or Twitter? I'm on both, but... Twitter.
Favourite song? Argh, can't narrow it down - my "favourites" playlist is too long!
Music or TV? Music.
Print or eBook? Both! I love books, whatever the format. In fact, can I add "audiobook" to that?
Tea or coffee? Tea, tea and more tea! It goes perfectly with my cookie. *finishes munching and brushes away crumbs*

Thanks, Luisa! :)
Thank YOU, Zoe! :D

Ways to follow Luisa Plaja:

Luisa Plaja website
Chicklish
She blogs at Girls Heart Books along with other authors
Twitter
Facebook

Rémy Brunel and the Ocean of Light: Chapter 7

2011-09-07T09:47:00.000-07:00

**Fiction Express is an e-fiction site where each chapter is released every Friday. When you have read that chapter, you can vote to what happens next! The first chapter is for free, and the next ten chapters are from 59p. I recommend the site 100% and I suggest you check out the brilliant books they have on offer Please be aware that my review may have spoilers of previous chapters, but not the current one.**

My previous reviews:

Chapter 1, click here.
Chapter 2, click here.
Chapter 3, click here.
Chapter 4, click here.
Chapter 5, click here.
Chapter 6, click here.

Chapter 7 Review

My vote won, yay! In this chapter, more characters are introduced to the story including Desai who made the story more interesting. I really like all the unique names in this book as it makes the storyline more enthralling. Despite being not able to vote because I read it slightly later, a took a look and it was really difficult! What did you all vote for? What are your predictions? I have no idea what will happen next, the adventure never ends!

Zoe x

PS.

Hi everyone, this 'ps' is to just to let you all now that I won't be posting that much in the future because I am going back to school soon. It is an important year (exams = groan) so I won't have as much time as I did in the summer holidays (which was a lot ;))! I will try and post and much as possible, and I will definitely be still accepting reviews and commenting on other blogs etc! Thanks x :c)

Day Of Deliverance (Jack Christie #2) by Johnny O' Brien

2011-09-06T05:51:00.000-07:00

Jack and Angus’s time travels are heating up again, and this time the boys must save Queen Elizabeth I from an early death. Meeting the playwright Marlowe and a young actor named William Shakespeare along the way, Jack and Angus will have to use all their bravery and skill to thwart their archenemy, Pendleshape, and his misguided notions of changing history.

Jack and Angus and transported back in time again to London 1587, where they hear a plot of assassination against the Queen. The pair have to try and stop it, but it is much harder than they think when they realise they are dealing with dangerous people.

I enjoyed this one more than the first one. I think it has something to do with the fact that all the names of the guns and the First World War complicated weaponry aren't used as much (this is just for me, as I think lots of other people will know a lot more about the history of weapons etc!).

I love how the author opens it up with a bang as Jack and Angus are having a sword fight, and Jack is just about to thrust a sword into Angus' flesh, when the next chapter starts and it turns out they are practising for a play! Everything links together and makes it even more suspenseful.

The action and suspense kept me wanting to read on but for some reason I wasn't exactly 'hooked'. I didn't feel the need to skip pages at any point but it isn't one of those books that really shines among your other reads.

It can be read alone, as the other events aren't really vital to know as they explain it pretty well. In the beginning it has character lists, interesting photographs and maps to help you understand.

I liked the whole aspect of the book and the way it is told. I particularly like the parts where Jack and Angus introduce the people of the time to iPhones and jellybeans - it is really funny how to us it seems normal but to them it is like from an alien planet.

This book has almost everything a person wants - adventure, humour, action and breathtaking moments. Both children and adults will find this enjoyable.

RATE: 4/5

Publisher: Templar

Publication date: 14th September 2010

Pages: 192

Edition: Paperback

Source: For Review
Notes: I had a different cover to the one above.

To buy this book click HERE.

Zoe x

Blog Tour: Day Of Vengeance - Guest Post + GIVEAWAY!

2011-09-05T04:33:00.000-07:00

I am hosting the first spot on the blog tour of the spellbinding book, Day Of Vengeance. I am excited because this is the first blog tour I am taking part in! Yay!
This the is the third one in the Jack Christie series, a thrilling trilogy about a school boy going back in time and changing history. My review should be up soon!

On this day of the the blog tour, Johnny will be doing a guest post where he talks about his brilliant characters and how he invented them. He will also be telling us how he interpreted the historical figures in his own fictional novel. The author is a very interesting person and I hope you like the guest post:

Jack’s character was formed in a rather bizarre way. When I wrote Day of the Assassins there is a piece where Jack is escaping from baddies on HMS Dreadnought and he has the bright idea of hiding in the barrel of one of the famous battleship’s main guns. In order to fit him into the aperture of the gun, I had to make him quite small. To balance his limited physical stature (although he gets bigger in the later books!) I had to give him other strengths – like his memory and intelligence. Angus is then his alter-ego really – he is good at sports, brawnier and a physical match for anyone – but lacks Jack’s brains and judgement. He also had to be bigger because of all the physical equipment they come across – cable cars, army jeeps and weaponry! As a team they have most of the skills they need! So that really is how I came up with Jack and Angus...

What is good fun about writing the Jack Christie books is the interweaving of fantasy and fact – this applies to events as well as people. Jack and Angus meet lots of extraordinary characters on their travels, thing is, some of the most extraordinary are not the ones that I’ve made up! I had quite a lot of fun with Christopher Marlowe in Day of Deliverance. He was an extraordinary person – a famous playwright and possibly a double-agent. He came to a sticky end when still in his twenties. There is a portrait in Corpus Christi College (supposedly him) with the words ‘what feeds me destroys me’ – that probably says it all!

It is pretty difficult to really know what a historical character was really like; so it’s fun to add your own interpretation. In the main part the real historical characters are mostly kept in the background – but there are some important interactions and you have to just have a go at what you think they would have been like based on what you have read and learned.

I think Adolf Hitler, in Day of Vengeance was perhaps the most challenging historical figure to recreate. Jack and Angus don’t actually meet him, but they do see him on his tour of Paris and there are some thoughts that go through Jack’s head about that. They also encounter some other fictional characters representing some of the abhorrent and criminal elements of the SS and the Nazi movement. I found it hard to write what is essentially a made up story whilst representing some of these elements of the period in a way which was not clichéd. I am not sure I succeeded and I also worry about writing about a period which although ‘historical’ is obviously still relatively near and so controversial and deeply sensitive to so many people.

--GIVEAWAY--

Like what you hear? I thought you might. The wonderful publisher,Templar, are giving away a copy of the book and you could have the chance of winning! If you want to know more about the book itself, read the blurb below.

Schoolboy time-traveller Jack Christie is thrown back to 1940s France with the Second World War at a crucial point. The Battle of Britain and the German Vengeance programme are underway, as Jack and his best friend Angus take a more senior role in VIGIL's bid to prevent an intervention in history that could go nuclear. With Spitfire dogfights, jeep races and thrilling chases, the boys have met their most hair-raising adventure yet, including involvement in an assassintation attempt on Hitler.

I love the books, and I think all ages will find them exciting and well-written. So, go on - enter! You know you want to....

Read the T&C's before entering:

You don't have to be a follower to enter, though it would be nice. ;-)
UK residents only.
The deadline is 8pm on Friday 23rd September 2011, and the winner will be announced the day after and e-mailed.
The winner will be picked at random so there is a fair chance for everyone.

To enter, just fill in a form HERE.

Good luck, everyone!

Don't forget to check out tomorrow's stop at Empire Of Books where Johnny will be talking about where his inspiration for the time travel series came from.

For anymore information on the book tour, click here, for the Templar blog.

I hope you enjoyed my spot for the blog tour, and if you haven't read this book yet, make sure to enter my giveaway or buy the book instead of missing out on all the action....

Zoe x

In My Mailbox #12

2011-09-04T10:35:00.000-07:00

IMM is hosted by The Story Siren. This week I received......

Won-

Shine by Kate Maryon
THE COVER IS AMAZING! Don't you just love it? I won this from another brilliant Girls Heart Books giveaway, whoop whoop! :-)

Borrowed-

Underworld by Cathy Macphail
I borrowed this from a friend after reading a brilliant book by Cathy Macphail before (I don't know why I haven't posted a review up yet!). This looks amazing - shame I can't keep the book...!

What did you get in your mailboxes?

Zoe :) xx

PS. What do you all think of the new dashboard? I don't really like it, so I switched back to the old one! :-D

Day Of Assassins (Jack Christie #1) by Johnny O' Brien

2011-08-31T08:34:00.000-07:00

Jack Christie and his best friend, Angus, find themselves at the center of a momentous event that will shape history for decades to come. Their dilemma: Should they intervene? Their problem: Can they survive? Join Jack on a dangerous chase from the dockyards of England to the rain-sodden trenches of the First World War. Will he escape the evil authorities who believe in the mysterious VIGIL Imperative?

When the publisher e-mailed me asking to review this book I didn't hesitate! I love history in books and this seemed like the perfect way to put it. Jack and his friend Angus find a time machine, the Taurus, and are thrown back to World War One. Think of it as a modern adventure in history!

The author has developed some really good ideas in this novel, I really liked how he threaded the brilliant ideas together. The whole aspect of the time machine is ingenious - you can only go when the little light is on (to show it has signal) and you can't come back when the light is off either. Jack and Angus' whole adventure is suspenseful - will the villains triumph? Should they intervene with history? Will they change the time-line events forever?

It is a face-paced book that is suitable for all ages. Everyone will enjoy it - children and adults alike! I liked how it is also an educational read too (sorry guys!), but we learn in a such an exciting way it is entertaining. I realised at the end of he book that I actually learnt a lot, and before I knew nothing about World War One!

In some stages of the book I was slightly muddled-up about where they were, and in small occasions I found it a little slow - but that didn't happen very often. There is plenty of action, and in some cases I see that the author had to do certain things to make it work.

This book is perfect for boys, but me being a girl I also found it very enjoyable! I am not sure if I speak for all girls, as I am a slight tom-boy! The introduction at the beginning from the author is very good too, all about Choices. He writes about how one little thing can change history, as we learn at the end of the book. I am also very lucky to have a guest post from the author similar to this on the 5th September, so come along (free advertising, lol) and maybe that will tempt you even more to read this brilliant book!

RATE: 3.5/5

Publisher: Templar

Publication date: 13th October 2009

Pages: 225

Edition: Paperback

Source: For Review
Notes: I had a different cover to the one above.

To buy this book click HERE.

Zoe x

Fiction Express: Rémy Brunel and the Ocean of Light: Chapter 6

2011-08-29T11:32:00.000-07:00

**Fiction Express is an e-fiction site where each chapter is released every Friday. When you have read that chapter, you can vote to what happens next! The first chapter is for free, and the next ten chapters are from 59p. I recommend the site 100% and I suggest you check out the brilliant books they have on offer Please be aware that my review may have spoilers of previous chapters, but not the current one.**

My previous reviews:

Chapter 1, click here.
Chapter 2, click here.
Chapter 3, click here.
Chapter 4, click here.
Chapter 5, click here.

The last chapter left us on a big cliff-hanger, Thaddeus fell into the machine which may cause possible death - is this the last for him? I liked that Rémy stayed calm, which is good because someone needed to while J was blubbering about how it was his fault - I felt sorry for him! Thaddeus is struggling under the flames, desperate to get out. I liked how we see both sides from the story in third person, it gives us more detail and makes the story more gripping. Rémy, now departed from Thaddeus, carries on with J on their adventure. They meet new people and I am looking forward to what will happen next on their journey - seriously, what on earth will happen next?!

Zoe x

In My Mailbox #12

2011-08-28T04:36:00.000-07:00

This is Bookhi's 100th post...a bit random but what the hey! Yay!

IMM is hosted by Kristi from The Story Siren.

For Review-

Chrononsphere #1: Time Out Of Time by Alex Woolf

Chrononsphere #2: Malfunction by Alex Woolf

I have been send just the second by second book to review in the sci-fi series, Chrononsphere. This sounds really interesting. It is about a place where time moves a million times slower than in the real world. I haven't actually read the first one, but the publishers said the the events in book one are summarised pretty well. But just for good measure, they sent me it on a PDF: Time Out Of Time. I enjoyed Alex Woolf's ebook Soul Shadows a lot, so I think I will like this!

Thanks to The Salariya Book Company for sending me this to review. :)

What did you get in your mailbox?

Zoe x