Friday thoughts #17

I have taken a bit of a break for a while but these 'thoughts' will be resuming :)


.........The words on this image are sooo true :) or at least it is with me hehe x

Cover reveal; Dare You To (Pushing the Limits #2)

I adored the first book, as did so many others! Well this second book in the series is from Beth's perspective.....published 28th May 2013. I cannot wait! How steamy is this cover!

Having problems.......

I felt like i need to explain my absence once again and to ask you to please stick with me.  I am currently having problems with so many things that i feel everything is stacked against me.  I am having health problems, internet issues and laptop problems, also time to read is really limited :( I will keep doing occasional blog posts and will be checking in on people's blogs. I am hoping that in the New Year, a lot will be sorted and i can get back to normal.

I have thought about deleting my blog and everything related to it but it feels like my baby and i just cannot do it.  I just cannot give it my all right now, no one wants to do a guest post on here and that is fine.  I still have items to post out which i haven't had chance to do it, sorry.  The fact i cannot give it my all right now makes me feel extremely guilty and i get a bad feeling about the blog, meaning i just do not want to even log on as avoidance is easier than the reality that my blog is failing.

Please stick with me, i plan to have the occasional posts and i will get back to normal, hopefully by the New Year at the latest. Decemeber is a majorly busy month with christmas, my son's birthday and we go on holiday (vacation) too so i think with everything else and this limited time- i would set myself up to fail to get back to normal now.

Sorry everyone.

Stacking the Shelves #23

This is a meme hosted by Tynga at Tynga Reviews and is to haul all the books we have got this week, whether bought physical or e-book, whether for review,from the library, won in a giveaway as a prize or even borrows from a friend. With this you can supply your link and then see what everyone else has bought.   This is the link for this weeks collection 'Stacking the Shelves 27' (my numbers are slightly behind :) )  The meme starts on  a Saturday, but you can join all week.  So this is my haul;

This week....Buying ban has not being stuck too but only because i saw two books that i fell in love with, one had a fantastic review that hooked me in and the other i have wanted for ages- i did a 'WoW' post on it.  I haven't requested any books for review this week but i did get excepted for some that i had requested previously.

Bought-Paperbacks.

I normally take pictures of the books i buy but i haven't this week,sorry.

Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone

Lifesaving For Beginners by Ciara Geraghty

Definitely read on Goodreads, they both sounds fantastic! I even had the 'Time Between Us' sent from America because the UK cover is nothing in comparison in my opinion.

For Review.

Heart like Mine by Amy Hatvany (Pub date.19/03/2013!)

The Comfort of Lies by Randy Susan Meyers (Pub date, 12/02/2013)

What did everyone else buy/receive?

Friday thoughts #16

I suffer from this often but only if the last book was AMAZING.

Waiting on Wednesday (WoW) #20

Splintered by A.G Howard.

This is my 20th Waiting on Wednesday (WoW),

therefore my #WoW may not correlate with the linked post.

This meme is hosted by Jill @ Breaking the spine.

Hardcover: 384 pages

Publisher: Abrams (1 Jan 2013)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1419704281

This stunning debut captures the grotesque madness of a mystical under-land, as well as a girl’s pangs of first love and independence. Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.

When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own.

What a cover!! How gorgeous is that? I bet it is even better in real-life too! I don't think i have seen a cover as beautiful as this in a good while!  It sounds like a great read, even though there seems to be a few books recently with the 'Alice in Wonderland' theme as such, i think this one is another with a unique telling.  I loved Alice in Wonderland as a kid and i am pretty sure i will love this spin. Looks like it could be a but of a dark read too but full of adventure. I hope it is a descriptive book too.

1st book i couldn't finish!

Thy Neighbor by Norah Vincent.

Hardcover: 306 pages
Publisher: Viking Books (2 Aug 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0670023744

Firstly, kind thanks to the publishers, for granting me the permission to review this book via Netgalley for no charge, for an honest review.  This book was read on my kindle.

From the New York Times bestselling author, a first novel as spellbinding as her acclaimed nonfiction

At thirty-four, Nick Walsh is a broken, deeply cynical man. Since the violent deaths of his parents thirteen years earlier, he has been living alone in his childhood home in the suburban Midwest, drinking, drugging, and debauching himself into oblivion. A measure of solace is provided by his newly found relationship with Monica, a mysterious woman who seems to harbor as many secrets as he does.

Obsessed with understanding the circumstances surrounding his parents' deaths and deranged by his relentless sorrow, Nick begins a campaign of spying on his neighbors via hidden cameras and microphones he has covertly installed in their houses. As he observes with amusement and disbelief all the strange, sad, and terrifying things that his neighbors do to themselves and to one another, and as he, in turn, learns that he is being stalked, he begins to slowly unravel the shocking truth about how and why his parents died.

At once unsettling and moving, humorous and horrifying, Thy Neighbor explores the nature of grief, the potential isolation of suburban life, and who we really are when we think no one is watching. What readers and critics have admired in Norah Vincent's nonfiction is completely unleashed in this vivid and provocative novel.

Review.
Many thanks to the publishers for granting me access to review this book, for which it was kindly received via Edelweiss. This was read on my Kindle and the review is of my honest opinion.  I wanted to read this book initially because i was intruged by the synopsis and the cover was different, unique but in an odd way.  However, i am sad to say that i wish i had never given this book a second glance because then i wouldn't have started to read this.  This book is the first book that i haven't finished, it is totally unlike me to not finish a book but it seriously put me in a reading funk! I have struggled to read since because i am not motivated to pick up any other book and normally i love reading!  I don't know why but this book, along with another i was reading at the time, both compounded this effect.  I did not want to pick this book up, it was not a page turner for me and it was a struggle to read.  I gave it a good go! I read approximately 44% and i hate to not finish a book. I just couldn't with this.  

It was a very odd book, especially in the beginning, it was disjointed, sentences that didn't make sentence, the use of the most odd and weird metaphors and i have included some quotes that make me recoil.  The main character Nick, just seems an odd, creepy guy who is spying on people via camera's in their houses, he has a friend called Dave, who also creeped me out. I did not take to Nick at all, i disliked him so much and i didn't even feel sorry for him- his upbringing as an only child was apparently privileged but his dad killed his mother and then killed himself with a gun. 
This is how he describes himself;

"Depressed, destroyed and crushed beneath the boot of fate""I am, to put it limply, a lost boy playingat lost generation before my father blew my mother into the next life with the family.  45 and then tasted the muzzle for himself one summer evening while i was off finding myself in the national parks and legal whorehouses"

 He has a connection with Dave as they both had dads who are dead, Dave got left a business and Nick got left a free house....the house is the setting and from the start of the book, Nick didn't leave.  The writing style was just horrid, with crude words; 'C' word for female anatomy! To try and explain how much i disliked this book i will add some quotes. Please note these quotes are from the 'Advanced readers copy' rather than the final edition-that would need to be checked to see if these quotes are still included.

"Workers of the world we might as well be wearing burlap gray pajamas, marching everyday to our salt mines of finance and information technology, hurrying home fully coked (pharmaceutically, if necessary  to pound our pixy stick wives into fruition"

"When they're picking up their kids for soccer practice or propping their eyes open with triple shots of Mcspresso to make it through the four pm fit of narcolepsy at shiteco, I'm just having my blissful waking piss"

With Dave, who is often referred to as "twat" and "shitpole"- "Drink together at least 3 nights a week and drive each other crawling into the vomitorium at dawn because neither of us can resist the talent of "'pussy'"

There is also substance abuse going on with reference to getting pills/meds (benzos) on the side and taking with alcohol mimicking sleep.  He also has a life of Dayquil, nicorette and Gatorade.

Can you see why i disliked it so much, such an uncomfortable read.  However, some people did enjoy it, so please check out Goodreads as there are other reviews on there.

urgh........

Zero stars from me....but 1 star on Goodreads for a 'didn't like!'

Stacking The Shelves #22

This is a meme hosted by Tynga at Tynga Reviews and is to haul all the books we have got this week, whether bought physical or e-book, whether for review,from the library, won in a giveaway as a prize or even borrows from a friend. With this you can supply your link and then see what everyone else has bought.   This is the link for this weeks collection 'Stacking the Shelves 26', my numbers are slightly behind :) )  The meme starts on  a Saturday, but you can join all week.  So this is my haul;

This Week........ Will just include some review books that i have received.  I am holding back on buying at the moment with christmas coming uo and i have plent to read right now.  However, i did buy a book that i have wanted since prior to it's release, i even featured it on a 'Waiting on Wednesday' post.  It has arrived but i haven't taken a piccie of it yet so it will feature in next week's 'Stacking The Shelves'

For Review-On Kindle.

The Facebook Diet by Gemini Adams.

Saving Each Other by Victoria Jackson & Ali Guthy.

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell.

A Thousand Pardons by Jonathan Dee.

Uses For Boys by Erica Lorraine Scheidt.

Snow Whyte and The Queen of Mayhem by Melissa Lemon

Nexus (Nexus#1) by Ramaz Naam.

What did everyone else get this week?

Friday thoughts #15

GUILTY! But only with NEW books.

Come on.....anyone else guilty of this haha!!

Waiting on Wednesday (WoW) #19

The Almost Truth by Eileen Cook

This is my 19h Waiting on Wednesday (WoW),

therefore my #WoW may not correlate with the linked post

This meme is hosted by Jill @ Breaking the spine.

Hardcover: 256 pages

Publisher: Simon Pulse (4 Dec 2012)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1442440198.

From the author of Unraveling Isobel and The Education of Hailey Kendrick, a smart, romantic novel about a teenage con artist who might be in over her head. Sadie can’t wait to get away from her backwards small town, her delusional mom, her jailbird dad, and the tiny trailer where she was raised…even though leaving those things behind also means leaving Brendan. Sadie wants a better life, and she has been working steadily toward it, one con at a time.

     But when Sadie’s mother wipes out Sadie’s savings, her escape plan is suddenly gone. She needs to come up with a lot of cash—and fast—or she’ll be stuck in this town forever.

     With Brendan’s help, she devises a plan—the ultimate con—to get the money. But the more lies Sadie spins, the more she starts falling for her own hoax…and perhaps for the wrong boy. Sadie wanted to change her life, but she wasn't prepared to have it flipped upside down by her own deception. With her future at stake and her heart on the line, suddenly it seems like she has a lot more than just money to lose...

"I think the premise of this book sounds fab! It's more of a fun read than anything serious and i think there will be some laughs (i hope!) and tears/emotions along the way. I am not sure whether i will like Sadie, but maybe i will take to her, i already kind of feel sorry for her with her family life and wanting to get away.  I don't agree with the conning part but i think this will be interesting to see what she actually does and why she is left in the situation she is.  I was drawn to this book by the cover, obviously of a girl saying something and lying but crossing her fingers behind her back to make the lie not count.......does anyone else do the 'No crosses included when trying to get over the truth?' or maybe this just happens here lol and actually she is crossing her fingers because she is hoping something happens.  I initially thought it was the first.  It is not a book i am eagerly awaiting BUT it is a book i am looking forward to reading"

Review-Over you by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus.

Over You by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus.


Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Harper Teen (21 Aug 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0061720437

Firstly, kind thanks to the publishers, for granting me the permission to review this book via Edelweiss for no charge, for an honest review.  This book was read on my kindle.

After the grand explosion of her relationship, seventeen-year-old Max Scott developed what every girl in the history of the world has been waiting for: a way to get over being dumped. Now Max is the go-to guru for heartbroken high-school girls all over NYC. But when her ex unexpectedly shows up in her neighborhood, Max’s carefully controlled world starts to unravel. With her clients’ hearts hanging in the balance, Max will have to do the seemingly impossible: get over him once and for all.

Brilliant at bringing humor to the trials and tribulations of the lovestruck, #1 New York Times bestselling authors Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus have crafted a tale that will resonate with any girl who has ever been in love or had her heart broken. It brims with smart observations, features a pitch-perfect teen voice, and will attract fans of Jenny Han, Sarah Mlynowski, and Lauren Barnholdt. Readers are sure to fall head-over-heels for this sharp spin on breaking up, making up, and getting even.

Review.
Many thanks to the publishers for granting me access to review this book, for which it was kindly received via Edelweiss. This was read on my Kindle and the review is of my honest opinion.  When i first saw this book and read the description i was eager to read it!  The cover is pretty amazing and tells a tale in itself, with the black and white photo-booth pics of a couple and then a colour 'picture' (or so it appears) of a girl alone with that title, it makes it look like those booth photos were in the past and now she has moved on in life and is hence 'Over you'.

The cover drew me in because it just looked like a 'chick-lit' and i have to say that i often like an easy going 'chick-lit' with some romance thrown in.  The synopsis wasn't quite what i expected from the cover but then maybe that is due to me making assumptions, however, i was even more interested to read this and intrigued about what was going to happen.  Plus, it is set in New York City (NYC) which i am obsessed with and it's a contemporary YA genre- my favourite! Hence, this sounded perfect!  However, i am sad to say that i was really let-down and don't like it nearly as much as i thought i would, it wasn't due to me having high expectations either, it genuinely isn't a brilliant read in my opinion.

The story follows Max, a high school dropout who has lived her life moving from one place to another, but has now moved to NYC in a hope to attend a NYC college and has set up a business  'Ex Inc' to help teenagers get through a break-up.  This premise sounds great, yet, it is actually unrealistic when you read the story and it would not work, with a few changes i believe the plot would have worked so much better and made a greater read without the reader questioning everything.  Max, goes into these teenagers house while they are in devastation following the break-up, she is a stranger there to help them and gives them the means to get through the night- chocolate, water and pills; she then supports them to get over the boyfriend, leading up to a 'moment' to make them jealous and regret leaving her...to show she has moved on without him.  This sounds great and would be to a teenager who is going through a similar situation because reading this and some 'advice' in it may be applicable to that individual and really make a difference.

Yet, taking medication off a stranger, who would honestly do that? and isn't it a bit weird! and also a stranger coming into your room, i don't understand why they wouldn't freak out.  Plus how is the business even funded, it is non-profit, apparently they live off donations- not disclosed how much! Max steals 'pilfering' or 'borrows' as she views it, this is clothes from Vogue and whatever else she needs. Also, there is other people working for Ex.Inc, how are there wages paid? Max is a high-school dropout, she isn't business minded and she lives where she has set up the 'office'.  What does the stealing teach teenagers? Has i said previously, i really liked the premise but it failed to deliver as expected, with one of the reasons being the unrealistic aspects.  I believe it would have worked out more solid if Max was older with an education behind her, so that she was more grounded and had money!  With a proper business set-up and a different way of helping these girls rather than springing up in their room unannounced.

Unfortunately another problem aspect in my opinion is the writing style and the characters themselves.  The narrative is quite difficult to read, it is a third person perspective from multiple characters.  It seems to be a little messy and occasionally i didn't know which character was speaking.  This jumbled  writing set a tone of the book for me and i found it so difficult to read. It took me weeks to read and actually put me in a reading funk. I wanted to enjoy this book so much and i really did try.  I did enjoy the humour dialogue though and there is some witty and funny moments from Max, as she just wants to please.  A quote (from unfinished edition) i really liked and made me giggle is;

"I want this Taylor downloaded to a memory stick as tiny as his you-know-what"

but a quote (from unfinished edition) i really didn't like at all and thought was a horrid metaphor to use is;

".....drags her bag up the stairs like it's full of kittens who've done something to piss her off" 

I mean really?? Why would a sentence like that be used, i don't understand what it adds to the story or even what that metaphor adds to demonstrate anything.

Speaking of Taylor, i did like his and Bridget's story, i really took to Bridget and i thought it was a perfect break-up story, i did guess what would happen in the end but i am not sure if it is actually that obvious.  Their story does give the opportunity for some really good speeches which will hit home with some readers.  You really get a sense of 'girl power' and about moving on and growing as an individual.  Max does give this sense as she is ambitious and has a strong character, but she is human and she does doubt herself and has insecurities.

Max is the main character, but i couldn't take to her at all.  In some parts i did really like her but overall i felt disconnected from her, she seems to have little emotion or thoughts.  If it was a first person narrative from Max's perspective instead then i believe the reader would take to her more by learning more about her and how she feels. This unsure feeling started in the beginning of the book as it explained that Max pretended to be different people to fit in as she switched to different schools.  I didn't know if she was fake and as the story progressed, i felt that vibe throughout!  The 'borrowing' (stealing & returning) clothes from Vogue at night and the lies to friends, all added to that feeling.  I didn't feel like there was a very good character development for Max or any of the characters really.  We didn't know enough about her or her personality. Who is the real Max? Who is the fake Max?  A strong character, who has this business to help girls but she is doing everything she tells the girls not too, and has far more insecurities than they do.  It is a shame really.  The secondary characters include; Ben, Zach, Phoebe, Bridget, Taylor and a few others who were brief.  I am not going to go into the other characters because i don't really have anything to say, i really did like Ben, i had a soft spot for him. I wanted to know more about Phoebe too!  I didn't feel there was enough depth to these characters at all.

Overall, there were some good aspects and it was a cute story.  It really would hit home with some readers and the advice within it would be useful, plus if the story wasn't analysed as much and just taken at face value then i think i would have liked it.  I really did want too, but for me the bad outweighed the good, and i was disappointed.  It did contribute to my reading funk which has effected my blogging too, which is unfortunate.  I do recommend that people go to Goodreads and read some other reviews of this book because you might read some of the higher rated reviews and then really want to read the book. I recommend that everyone gives it a go though :) Sorry to say, it's only a 2 out of 5 for me.

Stacking the Shelves #21 (Birthday Edition!)

This is a meme hosted by Tynga at Tynga Reviews and is to haul all the books we have got this week, whether bought physical or e-book, whether for review,from the library, won in a giveaway as a prize or even borrows from a friend. With this you can supply your link and then see what everyone else has bought.   This is the link for this weeks collection 'Stacking the Shelves 25', my numbers are slightly behind :) )  The meme starts on  a Saturday, but you can join all week.  So this is my haul;

Update; Normally on a 'STS' post, i would do an update here saying 'this week' and just document anything that had happened.  However, i have not done an STS post since August! I have not bought any books since then, i have received books for review, but due to my blogging and reading funk, i just didn't post.  So, i am back now with some new books i have received, which are for my birthday!! Hence birthday edition, lol.  It was a special reason to get back into this.  My birthday was in the first week of October so i should have posted this last week, oops.

Birthday pressie books 

(with some added toffee popcorn chocolate-yummy!)

Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

Dreamless (Starcrossed #2) by Josephine Angelini

Bought myself-

The Rose Petal Beach by Dorothy Koomson.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky.

What did everyone else get this week?

Friday thoughts #14

Story of my life!! 

I know i am not the only 1 who wishes this!

Waiting on Wednesday (WoW) #18

Blind Spot by Laura Ellen

This is my 18th Waiting on Wednesday (WoW), 

therefore my #WoW may not correlate with the linked post

This meme is hosted by Jill @ Breaking the spine.

Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books (23 Oct 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0547763441

There’s none so blind as they that won’t see.

Seventeen-year-old Tricia Farni’s body floated to the surface of Alaska’s Birch River six months after the night she disappeared. The night Roz Hart had a fight with her. The night Roz can’t remember. Roz, who struggles with macular degeneration, is used to assembling fragments to make sense of the world around her. But this time it’s her memory that needs piecing together—to clear her name . . . to find a murderer.

This unflinchingly emotional novel is written in the powerful first-person voice of a legally blind teen who just wants to be like everyone else

"This is really intriguing because it isnt just a normal style of someone trying to clear her name or what happened to this girl?  Because it involves someone who is blind.  I love the fact it is first person perspective from Roz's perspective rather than third person.  It would add so much more to the story and make it more personal since it is her name that needs to be cleared and she is blind.  It must be a really scary place for Roz to clear her name in a world where she cannot see what is happening.  I really want to know what happened to poor Tricia and what they were fighting about.  I know it says it is an emotional novel but i really believe it will be and that i will be gripped. Not long till the 23rd!"

(Late)Review-Pushing The Limits by Katie McGarry.

Pushing The Limits by Katie McGarry.

Hardcover: 416 pages
Publisher: Harlequin Teen (July 31, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0373210493
ISBN-13: 978-0373210497

Firstly, kind thanks to the publishers, for granting me the permission to review this book via Netgalley, for no charge, for an honest review.  This book was read on my kindle.

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal.But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.

Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

My Review/thoughts.
Many thanks to the publishers for granting me access to review this book, for which it was kindly received via Netgalley. This was read on my Kindle and the review is of my honest opinion.  This book was actually read at the start of August and i really do apologise for this late post/review.  Therefore, for that reason, rather than a review as such, it is more my thoughts. I know people have read a ton of reviews on this book but i am documenting this for myself on my blog because i read it AND I LOVE IT!

Sorry, i couldn't help myself with that last part of the sentence.  I wanted to read this book as soon as i saw the cover and read the synopsis.  I mean WOW!  I did have high expectations following the amazing reviews i had read on Goodreads & other blogs.  I was not let down, i totally LOVED this book, even that is an understatement in itself! I just cannot express how much i adored this read, it is a page turner and i could not put it down.  When i did put it down, i couldn't stop thinking about it!

The synopsis is on the book (see above) and i do not like to go into that too much incase i give spoilers away.  Firstly, i have to mention the book cover, the one i love is above and this is the hardback version.  There is a paperback version but i believe this is just in the UK and it hasn't got a patch on the hardback one.  The one above fits the two characters; Echo and Noah perfectly (as described in the text), and reflects the relationship between the couple- their closeness, their romance and their love.  It was an instant attraction and i knew it would be my kind of book!

This has to be one of the most emotive books that i have ever read, the feelings that are conveyed by the author through words are felt so strongly that it evoked strong emotions, and i cried a few times!  The writing style is in such a way that as a reader you become enveloped with the character's life, taking on board what they feel.  She doesn't just tell you, the reader, what to feel, she describes everything perfectly so that feeling is actually felt.  I cannot express how emotional, heart-wrenching and soul touching this book is.

The narrative of the book is that of dual perspective from both Echo and Noah, which i prefer as i believe it is more effective at providing an all round viewpoint and adds more depth to the story.  The perspectives are given equally so you don't find yourself wanting more of the other viewpoint.  However, one sticking point for me was that there was no clear cut difference between the perspectives, no paragraph each or headings.  It can change perspective from one sentence to the next, which makes it really confusing at times and i found myself having to re-read parts as i had read it but thought it was the other person's perspective.  I did get used to this narrative style and sometimes it worked perfectly as it just flowed and it became slightly more obvious when the perspectives changed.

The character development is incredible, especially for Echo and Noah.  Echo had experienced a life-changing event, one that was so distressing that she suffered memory loss as a result of post traumatic stress disorder.  However, she is left with physical scars, ones that she is embarrassed about and tries to hide. Obviously, her state of mine is troubled, because not only this, her life has being turned upside down by her brother dying in Afghanistan, having an estranged relationship with her mother and disliking her pregnant step-mother.  This is further compounded by the fact that at school she is now seen as a freak rather than being popular like before and her friends have turned on her.  She is so young to be living a life like this and i really felt for her.  The suspense is kept up about that night and is gradually revealed as Echo remembers information, it is very intriguing trying to work it out beforehand.  She could not have found a better boyfriend than Noah, he gained her trust, made her laugh, made her feel safe and protected, he tried to boost her confidence and get her to see herself how he did.

Noah is also a troubled soul, in foster care following the death of both his parents in a house fire and estranged from his younger brothers whom he wishes to protect and gain custody of.  A very difficult task when he is in high-school, is seen has violence after hitting his foster father when protecting his brother and now only has minimal supervised visits with his siblings.  His love for his brothers is evident and is heart-wrenching, the distress he feels due to being separated from them is so upsetting.  When it is revealed what happened the night his parents died and how the fire started, oh my, i did not see that coming and it knocked me for six....i cried and cried!  Wow, i just wanted to hug Noah and not let him go!  I adored Noah, i would love a partner like him. He made me swoon, especially with the relationship he had with Echo.

The relationship between Echo and Noah was lovely and not the insta-love type thankfully (which i hate!), it started off slowly and developed into a beautiful partnership of love, with the reader feeling every touch, embrace and kiss.  The sexual tension between the two is evident but there is no situation of their relationship going any further.  This relationship is basically two troubled teenagers intertwined together to create something beautiful.  They are the opposite of each other but fit together perfectly.

The other secondary characters, which i will not go into too much detail about, included Beth and Isaiah, who were Noah's friends.  They were amazingly great support for Noah and really looked out for him.  Beth, was really unsure about Echo at first, probably because she didn't want Noah to get hurt again given his situation, but she still stuck by what Noah wanted and did come around to liking Echo.  The sequel to this book, will be from Beth's perspective and i cannot wait!  Other characters include Lilia who is Echo's friend, she wasn't so nice to Echo at first but she changed and became a better person and i love that.  Grace and Luke where an ex friend and boyfriend of Echo's and i hated them, i wanted to punch then, such judgemental and nasty people.  Noah put Luke in his place! ha.  There was also her over-protective/slightly controlling dad and her pregnant step-mother Ashley who she hates!  Another awesome character who played a key part is Mrs Collins, she is the guidance counsellor at school and she knows her stuff, she puts these two together for tutoring purposes and that's where they get to know each other.  She knows exactly how to handle both of them, and does the greatest of things for them, one thing she does for Noah, it really choked me up.

So, overall, this book is AMAZING.  I absolutely loved it! I think it is my favourite book of 2012 so far! and contemporary YA is fast becoming my favourite genre! I recommend this to everyone, you need to read it.  I will definitely read it again in the future but slower so i can take it in more. I will be swooning over Noah for a while more too.  I give this 5 out of 5, even with the narrative issue because it was so great that it outweighed any negatives :)

Friday thoughts #13

GUILTY LOL 

Anyone else?

Waiting on Wednesday (Wow) #17

Touching The Surface by Kimberly Sabatini

This is my 17th Waiting on Wednesday (WoW), 

therefore my #WoW may not correlate with the linked post

This meme is hosted by Jill @ Breaking the spine.

• 
  
• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Simon Pulse (30 Oct 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1442440023
• ISBN-13: 978-1442440029

Experience the afterlife in this lyrical, paranormal debut novel that will send your heart soaring.When Elliot finds herself dead for the third time, she knows she must have messed up, big-time. She doesn’t remember how she landed in the afterlife again, but she knows this is her last chance to get things right.

     Elliot just wants to move on, but first she will be forced to face her past and delve into the painful memories she’d rather keep buried. Memories of people she’s hurt, people she’s betrayed…and people she’s killed.

  As she pieces together the secrets and mistakes of her past, Elliot must find a way to earn the forgiveness of the person she’s hurt most, and reveal the truth about herself to the two boys she loves…even if it means losing them both forever

I LOVE the premise of this book! I cannot wait for this book to come out; i am loving books that involve the afterlife! Paranormal books like this just hit a nerve that gets me addicted.  This looks like another book full of emotion and some mystery and suspense.  I have read some amazing reviews which say this is a book that is an absolute page turner and highly charged full of emotion.  It is meant to have fantastic characters that are well developed and a writing style with is gorgeous! Easy to read and flowing! It looks so interesting and the cover is just devine! i love it!

What is everyone else looking forward too?

Friday thoughts #12

I want a mug or poster with this on ;)

Waiting on Wednesday (WOW) #16

Pivot Point by Kasie West

This is my 16th Waiting on Wednesday (WoW), 

therefore my #WoW may not correlate with the linked post.

This meme is hosted by Jill @ Breaking the spine.

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Harper Teen (12 Feb 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0062117378
• ISBN-13: 978-0062117373

Addison Coleman's life is one big "What if?" As a Searcher, whenever Addie is faced with a choice, she can look into the future and see both outcomes. It's the ultimate insurance plan against disaster. Or so she thought. When Addie's parents ambush her with the news of their divorce, she has to pick who she wants to live with–her father, who is leaving the paranormal compound to live among the "Norms," or her mother, who is staying in the life Addie has always known. Addie loves her life just as it is, so her answer should be easy. One Search six weeks into the future proves it's not.

In one potential future, Addie is adjusting to life outside the Compound as the new girl in a Norm high school where she meets Trevor, a cute, sensitive artist who understands her. In the other path, Addie is being pursued by the hottest guy in school–but she never wanted to be a quarterback's girlfriend. When Addie's father is asked to consult on a murder in the compound, she's unwittingly drawn into a dangerous game that threatens everything she holds dear. With love and loss in both lives, it all comes down to which reality she's willing to live through...and who she can't live without.

"Wow, when i saw this cover, i was hooked, i am a cover whore as such (or least that is what i get called =P i like to think of myself as someone who appreciates a great cover!  This cover had me hooked quite a while ago now; after i read the synopsis it was straight onto my TBR list, but the release date is SO far away! I have read some fantastic reviews which cemented my need to read this book!  It just sounds like a perfect read to me- the seeing into the future, this paranormal aspect, the mystery and intrigue.  It also seems to be lined with emotion, possible love connections and from the reviews i have read, a definite page turner! I am so jealous that they have read it and i haven't yet.  That is only because i am so in love with this book already- i hope i don't read this and find it is a huge let-down due to my high expectations =/, i hate it when that happens."

What is everyone else looking forward too?

NEW RELEASE- The Star Child......

I wanted to do a blog post about this when I received the cover reveal but I didn't get around to doing the post.  But now it is RELEASE DAY, it definitely deserves a mention!

The Star Child by Stephanie Keyes.

An ancient prophecy. A stunning Star child.
The world is about to be cloaked in darkness.
Only one can stop the night.

Gorgeous Cover!

The world is about to be cloaked in darkness.                                                                      Only one can stop the night.

Kellen St. James has spent his entire life being overlooked as an unwanted, ordinary, slightly geeky kid. That is until a beautiful girl, one who has haunted his dreams for the past eleven years of his life, shows up spinning tales of a prophecy. Not just any old prophecy either, but one in which Kellen plays a key role.

Suddenly, Kellen finds himself on the run through a Celtic underworld of faeries and demons, angels and gods, not to mention a really ticked off pack of hellhounds, all in order to save the world from darkness. But will they make it in time?

There is a book trailer for this book, you have to watch this!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Stephanie Keyes.

Stephanie Keyes holds an undergraduate degree in Management Information Systems as well as a Master’s in Education. A seasoned, facilitator, Mrs. Keyes worked in Training and Development for an international telecommunications corporation for twelve years; spending the first eight years of her career as a Software Trainer and Technical Writer and the last four working in Human Resources and Employee Development. 

In May of 2012, Mrs.Keyes left the corporate world to focus on her family and her writing full-time. She also operates a freelance graphic and instructional design business, Sycamore Road Design.

Inkspell Publishing will release her first novel, The Star Child, on September 21, 2012. She is now currently at work on the second book in The Star Child Trilogy, The Fallen Stars.

Keyes lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, two children, and Riley the dog.

Contact Stephanie
Website: www.stephaniekeyes.com 
Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/page... 
Twitter: www.twitter.com/StephanieKeyes 

(Image and information from Goodreads)

A.W.O.L.........

This is where i am at present........absent from the blogging world!

*I am in a reading funk, have been for a while!! It is probably due to the fact that i have two books which i am 'trying' to read but i really don't care for them- i never want to pick them up and i only read for maybe 5-10mins when i do :(

*I haven't been on my blog much because i feel guilty for not reading, all the planned posts i had for September therefore have not been done, i still have a review to do of a book i finished reading the 1st week in August!  The fact i haven't done this means i feel more guilty!  Therefore i avoid going onto my blog.  

*Then with not reading, i think to my over ambitious TBR for September and i feel rubbish because i have read nothing and my wrap-up would be a joke!    It means that now i am avoiding even reading other people's blogs because i feel too guilty about the whole damn thing!

***I have had my dad extremely ill recently and he has only just got discharged from hospital today but he not completely back to full health, so my mind is constantly on him.***

I have found that i am doing other interests i enjoy too rather than just reading, blogging etc.   I do not know what to do.........help please............ i want to get back into all this but i don't know how :( I do not know where to start, my review books are stacking up and way overdue! My bought books are like a mountain- a lot waiting to be read.  I have more time on my hands now both kids are in full-time school, depending on how my health problems are day to day.

How do i get back into this? Blogging? Reading? Reviewing? Keeping up with others? and how do i reach a balance whereby i do not feel like my spare time is completely devoted to all this, and so that when i do another 'hobby' for example i do not feel guilty.  Has anyone felt like this or am i just crazy?

I will get back into this, fear not, just really struggling at the mo.

Please stick with me xx

Friday thoughts #11

How true is this? You can read a book

for a 2nd time & get a different experience too or

pick up things you missed the 1st time :)