A synopsis of my book: Love, Drugs, Knives and Lives... tell me what you think

Most teenage girls worry about who will ask them to prom, others worrying about which top to wear.
But Caitlin isn't like other girls, she's left worrying about where will her next meal come from, how she's going to afford the rent and who will leave her next.

Everyone she once knew, everyone she once loved left or betrayed her.
A once normal, happy girl, Broken! Ruined!

Follow the story of how one girl lost her...
 Family
   Friends
     Freedom and
       Mentality.... because of him, her brother and him, her once best friend.


Check out my writing blog: Once Upon An Aspiring Writer

Musing Monday (1)

Musing Monday is hosted by Should Be Reading. For more information on this meme check out her page.

This week’s musing asks…

What’s at the top of your must-buy list, right now? (or, if you don’t wait — if you’re more impulsive — what books have you recently purchased?)

I don't have a lot of money, nor do I have many oppurtunities to buy or recieve books like my fellow blogger's do. I save up money over a month or two and buy like 10ish books at once, which tend to last me. I will ocassionally buy a book if I see something I know I will like, especially because my local Supermarket gets new books every month and there on a buy-one-get-one free offer.

Here is my to buy list:

• Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa 
• Jumping Off Swings by Jo Knowles
• Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder 
• Delirium by Lauren Oliver 
• Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles 

So What I Did This Week.... (11-17 April 2011)

Monday
Finished reading Iron King by Julie Kagawa (review here)

Tuesday
Reviewed Angel by Katie Price (review here)
Started reading Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz

Thursday
Book Discussion: Books to Films (here)

Saturday
Finished Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz (review here)

Sunday
Started and Finished Once A Witch by Carolyn MacCullough (review here)

Book Review: Once A Witch by Carolyn MacCullough

Title: Once A Witch
Series: #1 Witch
Author:Carolyn MacCullough
Publisher:Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publication Date: September 2009
Pages: 292 
Special Features: Extract of sequel, Always a Witch 
Goodreads Average Rating: 3.81

Tamsin Greene comes from a long line of witches, and she was supposed to be one of the most Talented among them. But Tamsin's magic never showed up. Now
seventeen, Tamsin attends boarding school in anhattan, far from her family. But when a handsome young professor mistakes her for her very Talented sister, Tamsin agrees to find a lost family heirloom for him. The search—and the stranger—will prove to be more sinister than they first appeared, ultimately sending Tamsin on a treasure hunt through time that will unlock the secret of her true identity, unearth the sins of her family, and unleash a power so vengeful that it could destroy them all. This is a spellbinding display of storytelling that will exhilarate, enthrall, and thoroughly enchant.

I've never came across many witch books before so I was full of excitement to read this book, but didn't know what to expect, therefor I was pleasantly surprised.

The book gave me an all round warm feeling within me, it was one of those book which just a few pages in I knew I would love. I was completely hooked from page 1, and sat in blistering sun for 200 pages, definitely worth it. The book is flawlessly paced and well written, but as the book got towards the end I was slowly losing interest.
Parts of the story were very predictable but other were completely unexpected.

What I loved most about the book was learning the large amount of history within the Greene family, which shows author Carolyn's obvious love and dedication to her book. Also I enjoyed learning about the individuality of these witches compared to one's from other books, and also the talents each witch has.

All of the characters are absolutely amazing and completely right for the roles they play within the story, and each create a great effect to how I saw the book.
Tamsin is the main girl in the story and who the story is in the perspective of. She is an outcast of her family and tries to escape the torture of being a failure by going to boarding school in New York. Also Tamsin is faced with sibling rivalry with her sister, Rowena, due to her lack of magical ability, and her sister's power within the family. Tamsin and Rowena remind me slightly of my sister and myself, which helped me love the story much more.
Gabriel, is Tamsin's childhood best friend, who moved away, but then returns with his mother. Gabriel is typical sweet, good looking and adorable male protagonist, who constantly pulls my heart closer and closer towards him.

Once A Witch was a great and addicting read, especially something I would recommend to anyone. I'm now moments away from going and preordering the sequel Always A Witch.

I give this book...

Book Review: Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz

Title: Blue Bloods
Series: #1 Blue Bloods
Author: Melissa de la Cruz
Publisher: Atom
Publication Date: May 2006
Pages: 302
Special Features: First chapter of sequel Masquerade
Goodreads Average Rating: 3.77

'They're Young, Fabulous and Fanged... And they rule Manhattan from the trendy uptown clubs to downtown boutiques. fifteen year old Schuyler Van Alen has never quite fit in at her exclusive prep school- she's more of a vintage than a Versace girl- but all that's about to change...
Because Schuyler has just found out she's a Blue Blood. The Blue Bloods are the city's glamorous and secret vampire elite. They're young, beautiful and powerful. But now they're being murdered. And Schuyler must find out who- or what- is behind it, before she's next.

A year ago I bought 'Blue Bloods'. A year later I read Blue Bloods.
For a while now as you may of gathered Blue Bloods has been sitting on my shelf for a while calling out to me, but every time I picked up the book I always found a petty excuse not to read it, and man do I regret it.

Melissa creates a whole new kind of vampire books, which are aimed at girls but not completely evolved around romance. It's a cross between Gossip Girl and Twilight, both of which I and numerous YA reader's love.

The vampire's in the book are Melissa own unique version, vampires who are rich, fabulous and completely secretive. They are not just a type of creature, but a community of some of the most prestigious people in society, who have came from generations of Blue bloods.

As the story progresses we, the readers are given numerous subtle hints to the concluding on the book and smaller plots, but some of the outcomes were pretty obvious, these are all things which added intrigue and suspense to the book, aswell as an air of curiosity to seeing if my suspicions were in fact correct.

The book is set in glamorous Manhattan, NY and follows the story of three girls as they are introduce into their new lives of Blue Bloods. Each of the characters throughout the book leave their own impression and mark, giving somethign unique to the book and the plot line. All of the characters are 100% believeable and for most reader's they are relatable. But a downside some of the characters also had cliche aspects about them, which I guess to be honest didn't bother me, because it works on creating more realisitic characters.
The main protagonist in the book is social outcast Schuyler, who goes against everything in Manhattan and is an individual instead of a follow along.
Mimi Force, one half of the Force twins, is another protagonist within the book. She is the queen-bee of the school and the teenage generation of Manhattan, she is used to getting her own way and is a complete spoilt brat, something which Melissa de la Cruz creates so wonderfully throughout the book.
The third of final protagonist is Bliss, who starts out as Mimi's follower, but as the story goes on and the girls are introduced more into their futures, she becomes a whole new character, gaining a personality and opinion of her own.

I thought the book was an amazing and enjoyable read, definitely a series  I will carry on reading, and would recommend to anyone who has any interest in female aimed books or vampire books.

I give this book...

Extract of my story

Please, my lovely followers, and blog stalkers, read this extract from my book I am writing, this is the first draft... what do you think?? Comment below
If you wish to know more please email me at onceuponabooknerd@hotmail.co.uk

My leg jerked from the not so sudden blow to my stomach, another to my leg. The pain was excruciating.
Using my arms I tried to protect both my face and stomach from anymore hits. My head frantically moved from side to side to find any sort of clue to what was happening, my vision was blurred by the tears filling my eyes and all I could see  was coloured blobs dancing from side to side, what I assumed to be my attackers. My heart was beating so fast I was scared that it was about to force its way out of my chest.
Was the thought of death crossing my mind? Yes. I screamed and screamed as loud as I could until I couldn’t physically scream anymore, it made the pain from the rest of my body go away slightly and gave me a little bit of hope that this, what could only be referred to as torture would soon stop, I could hear the laughing and teasing surrounding me, taunting my helplessness. The laughter grew as a foot suddenly slammed into my ribs causing a cracking sound to fill the air. My hands automatically flew to my injured ribs, forcing pressure onto it, subsiding the pain slightly.
People say moments like this seem to feel like forever. I never believed them people, until now.

Novel help please

I am just wondering if anyone would help me with this book that I am writing?
I want to know if the storyline is too complex or not.
If you want to help email at onceuponabooknerd@hotmail.co.uk

Follow Friday (2)

Follow Friday is a weekly event hosted by Parajunkee where you can discover great blogs and make some new friends while you're at it. Happy Friday! 

This week's question:

Q. Do you have anyone that you can discuss books with IRL (In Real Life)? Tell us about him/her.

Yes I have two friends and due to our school timetable we spend the whole of Tuesday just the three of us. One of them is into more paranormal reads, and the other more adult books like Jodi Picoult, but also has a creepy but awesome Harry Potter obsession. Due to our constant book conversations we've all became much closer friends, and now are almost in-separable. But I have to admit I am the trend setter for books out of the book readers in our school year, and also my friends personal library.

Social Networking

So are you wondering how to get in contact with me or keep up to dating with whats going on... well follow these links...

http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5008249-kayleigh

http://twitter.com/#!/UponBookNerd

http://www.formspring.me/ABookNerd

onceuponabooknerd@hotmail.co.uk

Book Discussion: Book to Film

Recently there has been alot going on in the world of book to film, where most recently seen books such as Pittacus Lore's I Am Number Four and Alex Flynn's Beastly be turned into quite successful films. Also we've also witnessed planning for Suzanne Collins Hunger Games and Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments series books to be made into films
So I thought I would voice some of my opinions for books to films:

Harry Potter by J.K Rowling

The Harry Potter series is one of the best book to films ever. In fact the movies are so good I actually prefer them over the books, and that's rare I will say that.
I've grown up with the Harry Potter films, the first film: Philosopher's Stone/ Sorcerer's Stone was released in 2001, when I was only 6 and now it is slowly coming to an end when I'm 15, so its hard not to love a series that has had so much effect on my life.
One of the things I love most is that it's an English book and English film, with English actors. I believe that got every aspect of the film right.

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

The Twilight series, obviously is a must-have on this list. I am a great fan of the Twilight books, but not so much the film series. I really enjoyed the first Twilight film and I believe it's all down to Catherine Hardwick for being such a dedicated director. There is just something about the first film that makes it seem to mysterious and lovable where the others lack.

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S Lewis

The Chronicles of Narnia is a book and a story that most of us grew up with and it is quite sentimental in a way, despite I only had ever been told the first story: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. I had never really been interested in the first two films (I am yet to see the third) until this Christmas when they seemed to be constantly repeating and I finally found my love towards the film, especially the second film: Prince Caspian, I actually miss randomly having the films on the TV all the time.

The Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

As a young girl, I was a massive fan of Roald Dahl's writing, he was one of those author's who had an imagination of a child and could entertainment any generation with his creative writing.
I like both the original and the Tim Burton Charlie and the Chocolate Factory films, but I have this weird phobia of the Oompa Loompa's, they literally scare me to death.

 My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

But all in all the film is a great version of the book and is a defiantly family favorite.My Sister's Keeper is probably my favourite book to film adaptation. I thought the book was fantastic and emotional, and the film kept to the same theme, as soon the film started I found myself in tears, from beginning to the end.

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

I enjoyed I Am Number Four so much, the storyline was unique and fun, writing poor at some places. The film in the nicest way possible was absolute rubbish, I read the book before seeing the film luckily, my friend who hadn't read the book walked out extremely confused. It was almost like someone had summed up the film in 20words and they made a film about what was said. It missed out some of the most significant parts. It was the worst book to film, film I've seen.

Top Five Thursday (1): Top Five Favorite Books

Hey Dudes, welcome to the first ever Top Five Thursday, hosted here at OnceUponABookNerd... by me Kayleigh.

Top Five Thursday is basically a weekly meme. I will give a topic for example: Top Five Favorite Character or Top Five Favorite Covers for you to blog about, then you can post the link to your post in the comment section below, not forgetting to check out everyone else's posts.

This week the Top Five topic will be...

Top Five Favorite Books

Seeing as this is the first one I thought I would keep it simple. Remeber you don't have to include the reasons like I have.

So here is mine in no particular order...

1. The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter
The Goddess Test was so amazing. Aimee Carter as an author has a unique and amazing writing ability especially for someone so young. The Goddess Test is a twist on Greek Mythology. Check out my review here

It's always been just Kate and her mom—and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won't live past the fall.Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld—and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.
Kate is sure he's crazy—until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride, and a goddess.

2. Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel
Infinite Days is one of my favorite books because it gives a different insight to the vampire genre, unlike most books this is set in the perspective of Lenah, a vampire turned human. Check out my review here
Lenah Beaudonte is, in many ways, your average teen: the new girl at Wickham Boarding School, she struggles to fit in enough to survive and stand out enough to catch the eye of the golden-boy lacrosse captain. But Lenah also just happens to be a recovering five-hundred-year-old vampire queen. After centuries of terrorizing Europe, Lenah is able to realize the dream all vampires have -- to be human again. After performing a dangerous ritual to restore her humanity, Lenah entered a century-long hibernation, leaving behind the wicked coven she ruled over and the eternal love who has helped grant her deep-seated wish. 

Until, that is, Lenah draws her first natural breath in centuries at Wickham and rediscovers a human life that bears little resemblance to the one she had known. As if suddenly becoming a teenager weren’t stressful enough, each passing hour brings Lenah closer to the moment when her abandoned coven will open the crypt where she should be sleeping and find her gone. As her borrowed days slip by, Lenah resolves to live her newfound life as fully as she can. But, to do so, she must answer ominous questions: Can an ex-vampire survive in an alien time and place? What can Lenah do to protect her new friends from the bloodthirsty menace about to descend upon them? And how is she ever going to pass her biology midterm.

 Stolen by Lucy Christopher
Stolen is one of those books that are amazing and lovable, but also a book which I despise because of how many times it bought me down to tears. It gave me insight to the feelings and emotions of the 'bad' guy, something barely any books do.

Sixteen year old Gemma is kidnapped from Bangkok airport and taken to the Australian Outback. This wild and desolate landscape becomes almost a character in the book, so vividly is it described. Ty, her captor, is no stereotype. He is young, fit and completely gorgeous. This new life in the wilderness has been years in the planning. He loves only her, wants only her. Under the hot glare of the Australian sun, cut off from the world outside, can the force of his love make Gemma love him back? The story takes the form of a letter, written by Gemma to Ty, reflecting on those strange and disturbing months in the outback. Months when the lines between love and obsession, and love and dependency, blur until they don't exist - almost.

 4. Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman
This is actually my favorite book of all time. In short it is basically the racial version of Romeo and Juliet. It sticks to serious controversial issues, and is seriously a must read.

Sephy is a Cross - a member of the dark-skinned ruling class. Callum is a nought - a -colourless- member of the underclass who were once slaves to the Crosses. The two have been friends since early childhood. But that-s as far as it can go. Until the first steps are taken towards more social equality and a limited number of Noughts are allowed into Cross schools- Against a background of prejudice and distrust, intensely highlighted by violent terrorist activity by Noughts, a romance builds between Sephy and Callum - a romance that is to lead both of them into terrible danger.

 5. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
Haha, I just had to do it. I will admit there are hundreds of books that are better than Twilight, but this holds a special place in my heart. Twilight is what started my reading obsession and my vampire obsession.

Isabella Swan's move to Forks, a small, perpetually rainy town in Washington, could have been the most boring move she ever made. But once she meets the mysterious and alluring Edward Cullen, Bella's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. Up until now, Edward has managed to keep his vampire identity a secret in the small community he lives in, but now nobody is safe, especially Bella, the person Edward holds most dear. The lovers find themselves balanced precariously on the point of a knife—between desire and danger. Deeply romantic and extraordinarily suspenseful, Twilight captures the struggle between defying our instincts and satisfying our desires. This is a love story with bite.

Remember to post your's in the comments below...

Top Five Thursday

What is Top Five Thursday and How Do I Take Part?

Top Five Thursday is basically what it says on the tin.

Simply every week I will pick a theme, for example: Top Five Favorite Character's or Top Five Favorite Book Covers and you the lovely participants will go on your blog and post your Top Five, then you will come back here and find my latest Top Five Thursday and comment in the comment section below. Remember to check out everyone else's aswell.

What If I Don't Have A Blog?

Well that's simple, just pick your top five and post them in the comment section of the weekly post.

What Day Will This Meme Happen?

Hmmmm... I wonder. Thursday. I will schedule these posts to come out at 0:01 GMT time every Thursday.

So I Hope You All Enjoy This MeMe :D

W...W...W... Wednesday (1)

W...W...W... Wednesday is hosted by Should Be Reading

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?

• What did you recently finish reading?

• What do you think you’ll read next?

My Answers:

What Are You Currently Reading?: I started Blue Bloods by Melissa De La Cruz just yesterday.. I don't really know what to expect I have both good and bad reviews, but it has been on my shelf for a good year now.

To check out a Synopsis follow this link to Goodreads.

What Did You Recently Finish Reading?: I read Iron King by Julie Kagawa in about two days...it was absolutely amazing. Check out my review here.

What Do You Think You'll Read Next?: I plan to read Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen next. I really loved Anna's other series The Luxe series and can't wait to read her new book.

If you want to check out what I have read or plan to read check out my Goodreads page here

Waiting On Wednesday: My first one ever!!!

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Title: The Goddess Test

Author: Aimee Carter

Release Date: 19th April 2011

Publisher: Harlequin Teens

Synopsis:

'It's always been just Kate and her mom—and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won't live past the fall.

Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld—and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.

Kate is sure he's crazy—until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride, and a goddess.'

Why I can't wait for this book?

I've actually read this book in form of a e-book gallery, and well I absolutely loved it, it is one of the best books I've read in a while. I can't wait to own a physical copy of the book ready for me to read over and over again.

Check out my review here: The Goddess Test Review

2011 E-Book Challenge

So I have decided to take part in some challenges as of now..

The 2011 E-book Challenge is hosted by The Lady Bug Reads

Progress Bar: 4/10

1. Club of Shadow Land by Cherise Sinclair
2.  
3. The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter
4. Lost Voices by Sarah Porter

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Bite Me by Parker Blue

'The stench of rotting garbage filled my nostrils as I scoured the dark streets of San Antonio for something to take the edge off. I definitely needed it—this was one of those nights where I felt less than human.' - Page 1, first two sentences 

Book Review: Angel by Katie Price

      ARGH IT WON'T LET ME PUT IMAGES UP!! SORRY PEPS
Title: Angel
Series: #1 Angel
Author: Katie Price
Publisher: Arrow
Publication Date: August 2006
Pages: 320 
Special Features: N/A
Average Goodreads Rating: 3.36

'A sparkling and sexy tale of glamour modeling, romance and the treacherous promises of fame. Eighteen-year-old Angel has only one dream; to leave behind the sheltered safety of her home and head for the modelling agencies of the big city. Young, beautiful and sexy, she seems destined for a successful career in modelling and, very quickly, the glitzy world of celebrity fame and riches becomes her new home. But then she meets Mickey, the lead singer of a boy band, who is as irresistible as he is dangerous, and Angel discovers that a rising star can just as quickly fall.'

After reading one of Katie Price's autobiographies: Being Jordan I became attached to her writing style, it wasn't too serious, but instead laid back and relaxed, and as I'm the type of person to try any book once I decided hey why not.

I did enjoy to book, it was a light and enjoyable read, especially good for lounging on the beach on a nice sunny day reading, but to me the book can not be fully taken seriously.

I will admit I enjoyed the storyline but the main character, Angel for me was weak. At the beginning of the book she starts out strong, seems to be someone who knows where shes going in life, but soon lets go of all her beliefs and throws them literally down the drain. In the end she ends up as another fake blond, fake boobed over-obsessed girl, the stereotype of people in the glamour modelling industry.

As I've already stated I enjoyed the storyline, it gives people an in site on the look in the life of a glamour model, it shows that hey the job isn't as trashy as some may of thought and that in fact these people are nice, they do have emotions. But I also believe the storyline was also not enough to make it good, too much happened within the book and their could easily of been more action added in.

The book sends out the wrong message, especially to young readers, mainly myself and many people who I know who have read this book. It basically says fake is better, and that looks is all what people think about. It promotes being vain.

All in all I give this book...
3/5 stars

Book Review: The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

Title: The Iron King
Series:   #1 Iron Fey
Author: Julie Kagawa
Publisher: Harlequin Teens
Publication Date: February 2010
Pages: 363
Special Features: A chat with Julie Kagawa, Survival Guide to the Nevernever and a preview with second book in the series Iron Daughter.
Average Goodreads Rating: 4.10

'Meghan Chase has a secret destiny—one she could never have imagined…
Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school…or at home.
When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.
But she could never have guessed the truth—that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face…and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.'

 One word= WOW!!!!
This book is amazing beyond describe.

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa is a book full of imagination, creativity and fantasy, showing the amazing ability and skill Julie Kagawa has when it comes to fictional writing.

The book is written in first person from Meghan Chase's perspective and follows the story of Meghan as she enters the world of faery otherwise known as Nevernever in search for her younger brother who has been kidnapped.

I never thought it was actually possible to be able to put so much in one book and still have the story go at a steady pace. The story starts on the day before Meghan turns 16 living, a what some may describe as average life and suddenly being sucked into such an amazing world full of so much imagination, one which you would only believe ever existed in children nowadays.

The book also adds an aspect of present times and technology, with the use of the Iron World, adding even more awesomeness to make this book awesome.

For me the story has resemblance to fairy tales, which I guess is quite ironic as it is a book about fairies or fey as they are known in the book. The book also uses inspiration from Shakespeares A Midsummer Night Dream, using three characters: Robin Goodfellow, Oberon and Queen Titania as main characters in the story.

Meghan Chase starts off as a average and realistic Americain teenager, who is falling head over heals for school most popular and 'hot' guy, whilst wanting the latest in technology. But she is a character willing to give up anything for her family especially for Ethan her younger brother, which we witness multiple times throughout the book. Meghan is a strong and unforgettable female protagonist.
Along Meghan's journey we are introduced to a number of amazing and quite iconic characters.
Firstly there is Robin Goodfellow, her bodyguard  and a companion throughout the majority of her journey. He is King Oberan's most trusted man, but also Meghan's best friend. He is portrayed as a humours and enjoyable character, someone who surely brightens up the book.
Someone else who I believe adds some humor to the book is Grimalkin a Cait Sith, or cat known in the human world, who has quite a resemblance to the Cheshire Cat featured in Alice in Wonderland.
But my favourite character by far is the Winter Prince, Ash. He is seen as someone with a male ego, but the hot looks, enough to make your heart melt. As the book goes on we witness a relationship between Meghan and Ash which is absolutely adorable and adds the only thing missing to this book, romance.

The story is absolutely amazing, as I've said I can not describe how good it really is. It is definitely high up there with some of my other favourite books.
This a remarkable unique and well god-damn awesome debut. Julie Kagawa really is a skilled author, whose writing is wonderfully flawless.

I give this book a well deserved:

Read-A-Thon: 13 Hours Completed

Hmmm. i havent properly been participating yet.
Currently I've finished one book...Angel by Katie Price
Read the first story in Prom Night's from Hell
and am currently finishing off Scarred by Julia Hoban which I had been reading before the Read-a-Thon.. less than 100 pages left.

As of now I will be properly participating if i dont fall asleep anyway.

Pages so far is about:300 (rubbish!!)

Read-a-Thon: Hours 8,9 Completed

Watching Mama Mia and reading, not good combination.
Finished Angel by KAtie Price... 80pages read. :D
Next book hmm.. i don't know just yet.

---------------1 book complete-------------

Read-a-Thon: Hour 5,6,7 complete

ARGH i dont get why i just cant read properly today...100 pages in 3 hrs :O

Read-a-Thon: Hour 4 Complete

4 hours down, 20 to go... :(

So once again I didnt get much readind done i went to take my doggy for a walk seeing as its still sunny yay!!!
Im on page 250 of Angel by Katie Price... 24 pages read :O
Gonna attempt to finsih in the next hour despite what i said earlier.

To all those people participating in the read-a-thon.. well done guys, keep going were part way there:D
Please send me your blog links i would love to see what your reading and how this is going for you.

Book-a-Thon: Hour 3 Complete

3 hours done... 21to go

I actually got round to doing some reading this hour im currently on page 216 of Angel by Katie Price.
So I read about 90 pages this hour.... yay
One more hour of this book then will take a break and do some e-book reading

Read-A-Thon: Book Puzzle Meme

Book Puzzle, use the pictures to guess the title.


















City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare.
This book puzzle was created by my sister.

Read-a-Thon: Hour 2 Complete

2 hours down...22 to go

Once again not much done in this hour, was still busy only 25  pages read... will do better in hour 3.
So im still reading Angel by Katie Price: page 125.

Read-a-Thon: One Hour Complete

1 hour gone... 23 to go.
I actually got almpst nothing read.... after needing to change and wash pots etc...

I'm reading Angel by Katie Price and am on page 100

Read-a-Thon: Hour 1: Introduction

Firstly at the beginning of each hour, i may have random posts which are basically activities from the Read-a-Thon website, at the end of each hour ill catch you up on what ive done so far...

1)Where are you reading from today?
     I'm reading from Lincolnshire, England. Where it is sunny so i'll be out in my backyard most of the time.
2)Three random facts about me…

    a)I have a cat and a dog b)I'm obsessed with vampires c) I am 5ft 4

3)How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours?

     I don't have any certain amount, im just gonna pick a book up each time I finish one.

4)Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon (i.e. number of books, number of pages, number of hours, or number of comments on blogs)?

    I want to at least read for 6hours and read 500 pages.

5)If you’re a veteran read-a-thoner, any advice for people doing this for the first time?
    This is my first time :D

The Beginning of Dewey's 24 hour Read-a-Thon

I am mere moments away from the commense of Dewey's 24hr Read-a-Thon.

Honestly I don't think I will make it the whole 24 hours, and I will admit now that I will no be non-stop reading, but instead have ocassional short breaks.

I have an assortment of different books, both physical and e-book, long and short... to get through in the next 24hours.
I'll be keeping you all updated hour by hour, and maybe even posting up the reviews.

Anyway I better get going and make a quick snack before I start.
See you in an hour :D

Book Review: You Against Me by Jenny Downham

Title:   You Against Me
Series: N/A
Author: Jenny Downham
Publisher:  David Fickling Books
Publication Date: December 2010
Pages: 411
Special Features: N/A
ISBN: 9780385613507
Average Rating on Goodreads: 4.23

'If someone hurts your sister and you're any kind of man, you seek revenge, right? If your brother's been accused of a terrible crime and you're the main witness, then you banish all doubt and defend him. Isn't that what families do? When Mikey's sister claims a boy assaulted her at a party, his world of work and girls begins to fall apart. When Ellie's brother is charged with the crime, but says he didn't do it, her world of revision, exams and fitting in at a new school begins to unravel. When Mikey and Ellie meet, two worlds collide. Brave and unflinching, this is a novel of extraordinary skillfulness and almost unbearable tension. It's a book about loyalty and the choices that come with it. But above all it's a book about love - for one's family and for another.'

You Against Me is a book which has stood out towards me for a while, but it took a while for me to get round to reading it.

It's a British book which I admit is probably one of the reasons I was mainly drawn into it, along with a large assortment of excellent reviews.

The story revolves around Mikey and Ellie who meet and fall in love at a disastrous time. Mikey's younger sister claims she was raped by Ellie's  older brother.

Now Mikey and Ellie must choose how far they will go not just for each other but also to protect their family.

The story is centred around the themes of love and loyalty. It shows how far someone may go to protect and save someone they love. The book constantly made me question how would I react if my brother was being accused of rape or if my sister had been raped.

The book is wrote beautifully, and Jenny Downham perfectly writes about something so heart wrenching and effective.

The characters I believe are so believable, realistic and make the book how it is, but neither of the main characters are in anyway remeberable.

Mikey would do anything to protect his sister and has a keen eye for revenge. The typical older brother.

Ellie is a daughter in a family where she is hardly paid attention too, and all she wants to do is have her parents be proud of her for once.

All in all this book was enjoyable and definitely worth the time taken to read it.

I give this book..

What I Love About Sunshine!!

 Theres nothing more I love to do on a nice hot sunny day then reading...

With my dog and cat...

Author Interview: Aimee Carter

 
Aimee Carter is the author of The Goddess Test, which is due to hit shelves on the 26th April. The Goddess Test (check out my review) is her debut novel, which is already highly popular in the YA community. Aimee has already signed a contract with Harlequin Teens promising a dystopian series and two more books in her series The Goddess Test, the second Goddess Interrupted is due to be released in 2012.
I believe Aimee Carter is a great inspiration for all young aspiring authors out there.
Here is the interview:

When was it you first decide that you wanted to become an author?
I didn't really decide, exactly. It was more the part where I didn't love anything else like I did writing stories, and maybe it would be kind of cool if they were published someday. I worked hard and wrote every single day for over a decade - sometimes just a few words, sometimes thousands - forcing myself to learn and grow as a writer. I started writing when I was eleven and began my original work at age fifteen, so around that age was the time that I really decided I wanted to try to do this. Finally I was fortunate enough to land an agent, and then the real work began.

Where did you get your inspiration for your book 'The Goddess Test' and how
much research did you have to do?

The idea for The Goddess Test has been batting around in my brain for literally most of my life. I've loved Greek mythology since I was a little kid, and I always wondered what happened to Persephone and Hades. The story felt unfinished to me, and finally in 2007, the idea of my protagonist trading herself to save someone she loved - originally a sister, then her dying mother - popped into my brain, and I went from there.

Have you always have an interest in Greek Mythology?

Ever since I first read about the Greek myths. I've been studying them in one form or another since I first began to read, and I remember in fourth grade, we did a unit on Ancient Greek, and I was the annoying kid going around correcting everyone. And the teacher. I devoured everything kid-friendly that I could get my hands on, then
when I was a teenager, I moved on to the edgier stuff. I don't pretend to be an
expert, but I very much enjoy every bit of it.

Did you intend for your books to be directed more at the YA reading audience, or did your book end up appealing more to YA?

I didn't initially sit down with a specific genre in mind, but I've always written YA (I have somewhere around two dozen manuscripts that will never see the light of day). Kate is older for a YA protagonist - eighteen in the first book - but it never occurred
to me that it might be anything other than YA. This was before the paranormal romance genre was much of anything, or at least before it was on my radar, and I never consciously decided to make it so. It just turned out that way.

Why did you choose to in someways change Henry from Hades the God he is
portrayed as?

I think there is a huge misconception out there about what kind of god Hades really was. Today he's so often depicted as a dark, evil, manipulative god when in Greek mythology, he was actually lonely, quiet, and very much an observer rather than a participant. He never attempted an overthrow of Olympus or had any real bad blood with demi-gods, and it has always, always bothered me that everyone seemed to think he was a villain. In reality (or as close to reality as mythology gets), it was Hera that was often the bad guy in mythology, especially when it came to Zeus's children. Hades merely drew the short stick and was stuck with the lonely and depressing job of ruling over the dead while his siblings got to hang out together in sunny Mount Olympus. I tried to remain as true to that as I could, and I really enjoyed writing his
character.

What made you add in the storyline of Kate being the caregiver of her ill mother?

That particular plot thread wound up being the glue to the whole story. Before that idea occurred to me, her mother being sick, I went through probably dozens of ideas for how Kate got stuck in this situation, and none of them felt wholly true. This, however, really struck home for me - a girl who would do absolutely anything to buy more time with the only family she has left. Maybe it's because I lost my mother when I was a kid, but whatever it was, it was the catalyst to me finally sitting down and writing this story.

Did you intend on creating a story with so many twisting, turns and
un-expected outcomes?

I prefer lots of twists and turns and unexpected outcomes (that still make sense to the story) when I read, so I suppose I just wrote something that I would've wanted to read. Though I'm very pleased that so many readers haven't guessed the ending, giving the heavy clues that are given throughout the story.

You look quite young, have you ever had to deal with any discrimination in the world of writing due to your age?

Thank you! I turned twenty-five in January, and I experience 'age discrimination' on a regular basis in the real world from people who think I'm younger than I really am. I don't mind too much. If anything, it's a compliment. But I've been immersed in the writing world since I was a teenager, and that was the point where I experienced the most difficulty, being fifteen, sixteen, seventeen. Mostly with adult critique
partners. Especially in the beginning, during my first round table workshops, my adult classmates thought I couldn't handle hearing what was wrong with my work, given my age, so instead they only praised me. As a result, I stopped sugarcoating my own critiques in an attempt to make them want to critique mine properly, and while I'm not proud of it, it did produce results. As for the publishing world, so far I've found it to be welcoming no matter what a writer's age, so long as the material is good.

On your twitter you say your shoe size is 5.5, please share your height?

This is might be the hardest question here. I don't actually know for sure how tall I am. Somewhere between 5'1 and 5'3. Likely closer to 5'1.

If you were given the opportunity would you turn your book into a film?

Since I studied film and screenwriting in college, I would jump at the chance to see the story in film. I think most authors would. However, with that comes relinquishing the material and letting the filmmakers do their job, so there would be an element of sacrifice to it - to giving up your story and viewing it with new eyes as the screenwriter and director and actors and producers interpreted in a way that was adaptable and interesting to the film medium.

Do you enjoy reading YA books, if so please share either some of your
favourite books or genre's?

I love reading YA books! I'm a very picky reader, so I have a tendency to read the first few chapters of nearly everything that's out there, and the ones I love, I keep reading. The ones I'm so-so about, I'll set aside for later. I don't read exclusively YA though - I'll read anything that appeals to me, no matter the genre. And weirdly most of my favorites are outside of YA. The books I reread over and over are the Harry Potter series, Ender's Game (by Orson Scott Card), the Black Jewels trilogy (by Anne Bishop and definitely not YA), the Belgariad and Mallorean (by David and Leigh Eddings, more of straight-up epic fantasy than anything), The Hunger Games (by Suzanne Collins)...and if I keep listing them, this interview would never end. I do tend to prefer fantasy or light science fiction over contemporary, but I will read literally anything that appeals to me.

So you have a dystopian series planned, care to share any information?

I do! I wrote the first book, MASKED, back in 2008-2009, immediately after I signed with my agent. So technically this is the book I wrote between The Goddess Test and its sequel, Goddess Interrupted. I love the story, and I'm so ridiculously excited to be able to share it with all of you! I don't know when it's slated for release, though I have heard August 2013. Whether that will hold true or not, I don't know, so don't hold me to it!

What do you enjoy doing when not reading, nor writing?

I love seeing movies. I'm not a film snob in the sense that I prefer independent films or the films that no one likes - quite the opposite, really. I strongly prefer commercial films, the blockbusters and the ones that are advertised like crazy. And like books, I'll see anything that appeals to me. Except horror. Though I can do a mean impression of that chick from The Ring.

When is The Goddess Test sequel 'Goddess Interrupted' due to be released,and also do you have any information on cover or synopsis release?

Goddess Interrupted will be released in late January 2012 (around my birthday - the 24th - I think!). I haven't seen a cover yet, but I have read a rough draft of what will appear on the back of the book. I am SO excited for all of you to get the chance to read it, and I'll be sure to update my website, Facebook, and Twitter accounts with more information as it becomes available.

And finally do you have any advise for any aspiring authors out there?

I have three key pieces of advise:
First, don't be afraid of failure. You will fail, and you will get another chance if you let yourself have it.
Second, write what you want to read, not what anyone tells you to write or what you think will sell. If you want to read it, chances are someone else will too.
Third, work your fingers to the bone and be open to criticism. The first manuscript you write will probably not be publishable, but you need to write it, and you need to keep learning.
The second might not be either, or the third, or the fourth. No one can promise that you will ever make it, but if you love it enough to keep trying, then do. There is only one guarantee in publishing, and that is if you stop, if you give up, you will fail.

Stay tuned for The Goddess Test giveaway...which will be up when I have money to get the book!
Find Aimee Carter at:

Facebook | Twitter | Aimee's Website | Goodreads |Formspring