Monday 29 June 2015

Half a Year Gone Already


Hey all! I've found that getting back into the routine of blogging is a lot harder than I would have thought. Regardless of the fact that the actual behind the post stuff is rather glitchy - I'm working on it, promise! - but I'm really not happy with my theme and layout at the moment. I have no skills with coding or anything and I'm poorer than a nun, so I don't know what to do at the moment. 

But I'm sick of whining! I want to blog, so I'm going to blog. I've been keeping up to date, as much as I can, with everyone else but expect to see me around much more - hopefully! 

I thought a nice way to start back would be to give a little wrap of my reading year so far. As of tomorrow, we are half way through the year. I know its going to be a pretty unpopular opinion, but I honestly feel that this year has dragged on and on so far. I honestly cannot believe we are only hitting July now. I feel so Christmasy at the moment - is this just me!? - and I am so eager to start my last year of high school. I'm completely sick of school and just want the year to be over with. 

Anyway, I am happy to say that reading wise, at least, I am having an amazing year. I've read so many books I've loved already and, compared to last year, I am enjoying reading more than ever. 

Here's my top 5 reads of 2015 (so far): 

22026075Falling Into Place
by Amy Zhang

On the day the day Liz Emerson tries to die, they had reviewed Newton's laws of motion in physics class. Then, after school, she put them into practice by running her Mercedes off the road.

Mass, acceleration, momentum, force - Liz doesn't understand it in physics, and even as her Mercedes hurtles towards the tree, she doesn't understand it now. How do we impact one another? How do our actions reverberate? What does it mean to be a friend? To love someone? To be a daughter? Or a mother? Is life truly more than cause and effect?


Falling Into Place was one of the most realistic, heart-breaking, and beautifully written books I've ever read - and look at that gorgeous cover! I honestly believe its something that everyone needs to read at least once in their life.

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17788403Maybe Someday
by Colleen Hoover

At twenty-two years old, Sydney is enjoying a great life: she's in college, working a steady job, in love with her wonderful boyfriend, Hunter, and rooming with her best friend, Tori. But everything changes when she discovers that Hunter is cheating on her  - and she's forced to decide what her next move should be. A passionate tale of friendship, betrayal, and romance. 


There is honestly so much more to the story than that description hints at. The relationship in this book  - Sydney and Ridge - is beyond words. It was realistic, and I loved the fact that they shared a fantastic friendship first. I also loved that Colleen Hoover didn't make her characters stereotypical in the slightest. It was my first book of hers, and I now understand the hype. This is the perfect book to introduce you into the NA genre. 

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2802316Shadow Kiss: Vampire Academy #3
by Richelle Mead

Lissa Dragomir is a Moroi princess: a mortal vampire with rare gift for harnessing the earth's magic. She must be protected at all times from the Strigoi: the fiercest vampires, the ones that never die. The powerful blend of human and vampire blood flows through Rose Hathway, Lissa's best friend, makes her a Dhampir. Rose is dedicated to a dangerous life of protecting Lissa from the Strigoi, who are hell-bent on making Lissa one of them. 

Then a strange darkness begins to grow in Rose's mind, and ghostly shadows warn of terrible evil drawing nearer to the Academy's iron gates. The immortal undead are closing in, and they want vengeance for the lives Rose has stolen. 


This is easily my favourite of the series. Well, of the four that I've read so far. Its ending was devastating, but the plot was fast-paced and kept me on my toes. I was enthralled, and my love for the series was cemented after I finished it. 

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23556036Storm Fall: Rebel Wing #2
by Tracy Banghart

Aris Haan gave up everything to join the Atalantan Military: her family, he boyfriend, even her identity. In the end, though, it didn't matter that she was a war hero; when the all-male Military discovered that she was actually a woman, she was sent home and erased from history. 

Now she has a chance to go back to the battlefield - as herself. But as hard as it was to be a solider in disguise, it's even more difficult now. The men in her unit undermine her at every turn. The Safaran army has spies everywhere, perhaps even on Aris's stationpoint. And she's falling for her superior officer, Milek. 

Then Aris discovers that Safran's leaders have set their sights on her, Atalanta's hero. And she must find them before they find her...

Goodreads | Amazon (available for free with Kindle Unlimited)

This series was such a pleasant surprise. I never expected to fall so in love with it, especially since I found the first book only alright. Storm Fall, however, stole my breath away. The plotline was intense, the characters brilliant, and I just loved every second of it. 

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17383918Allegiant: Divergent #3
by Veronica Roth

The faction-based society Tris Prior once believed in is shattered - fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she's know, Tris is ready.

But Tris' new reality is even more alarming than the once she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless and explosives new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature - and of herself - while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, and love. 


Again, this book came as a surprise to me. I didn't expect to love it since I was spoiled about a major event and didn't think I could possibly enjoy reading about that. It was, however, an entertaining and fast-paced read. I loved every second of it. 

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These were some of my favourite books of this year - so far - and I am excited to pick up some more over the next six months.

What's have been your favourite books of 2015 so far? What do you plan on picking on reading in the next six months?  

Friday 19 June 2015

I've Got My Blog Back!

Hey guys, I have the best news to tell you...

I'm back!

I've been through so much during the months I've been gone and I feel like I have so much to tell you! But let me start with a quick recount of what happened. 

I was locked out of my blog. I don't know how or why or what, but for some reason my blog just stop working for me one day. I emailed everyone I could think of, posted forums in the blogger help forum, and did everything possible, but it just didn't work. As you can imagine, this was a pretty stressful time for me. I feel like I've missed out on a lot while I've been gone. I haven't stopped hopping around the blogsphere, so hopefully you haven't all forgotten who I am!

Anyway, I'm back for good now. I'm going to try and tack advantage of this and update my blog for awhile. I have school holidays coming up in two weeks and will use that time to catch up. I have so many ideas just bursting to be written and I won't deny writing them any longer!

I know this is a short and abrupt post - I doesn't explain much, I know - but its late here, I'm off to bed now. I'm excited to be back. Watch out for my welcome back post. I'll be posting regularly as soon as I can. 


Wednesday 3 June 2015

Recommending Books That Starts With W

Recommend ABook That Starts With W

I've always loved doing this meme because it allows me to recommend all sorts of books that fit into the category, and bring some attention to underhyped books that I love. 

This topic was not as easy as I thought it would be though! There were more books that started with W than I thought, and narrowing it down was difficult. Anyway, these aren't all my choices but let's give a go anyway...

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6980720The Whisperer
by Fiona McIntosh

Griff works in a circus, in his days filled with boring routine tasks. Nobody knows he has a unique ability: he can hear people's thoughts without their knowledge. When the greedy circus master discovers his talent, Griff knows he must escape, and takes with him fellow circus member Tess and her collection of magical creatures. But even on the run, Griff keeps hearing a cry for help from a mysterious source he calls the Whisperer.


Meanwhile Lute, the Crown Prince of the realm, is under attack from his uncle Janko, who wants to rule the kingdom. Narrowly escaping Janko's murderous clutches, Lute comes up against Bitter Olof, a bandit with a long history, and Calico Grace, who also seems to have a dubious past. 


When Griff and Lute cross paths, many lives will change forever -- including their own. With allies both magical and human, they must join forces to defeat Janko, and reveal the truth behind the Whisperer. 



A unique and wonderfully written story that has gotten none of the attention it deserves. The story is just captivating, and the mystery is enthralling. The fantasy world is incredible, and I remember absolutely loving the characters. 

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22886113
A Work in Progress
by Connor Franta

Connor offers a look at his Midwestern upbringing as one of four children in the home and one of five in the classroom; his struggles with identity, body image, and sexuality in his teen years; and his decision to finally pursue his creative and artistic passions in his early twenties, setting up his thrilling career as a YouTube personality, philanthropist, entrepreneur, and tastemaker.

Exploring his past with insight and humor, his present with humility, and his future with hope, Connor reveals his private struggles while providing heartfelt words of wisdom for young adults. His words will resonate with anyone coming of age in the digital era, but at the core is a timeless message for people of all ages: don't be afraid to be yourself and to go after what you truly want.

Even if you haven't seen Connor's YouTube channel and don't know who he is, I would recommend reading this. Its a short, sweet and lovely read that won't take more than an hour or two to whiz through. Its really inspirational and heart-warming. Oh, and the art is just gorgeous.  

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5056084
Wings: Wings #1
by Aprilynne Pike

Laurel was mesmerized, staring at the pale things with wide eyes. They were terrifyingly beautiful — too beautiful for words.

Laurel turned to the mirror again, her eyes on the hovering petals that floated beside her head. They looked almost like wings.

This series will be a hit or a miss with you, I know that much. It hasn't been mentioned much among the bloggersphere, but has been blurbed by a lot of popular authors. It was one of the first YA series I ever read. It's unlike any fae book I've ever read, and there is scientific groundings to it so that is a bonus. Plus David is such a sweetie. I should reread this soon...

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I hope you found this at least a little helpful and were able to find a new book to check out. Obviously, I recommend all of these so all the best and happy reading!


What books have you enjoy that start with W? Let me know in the comments. You know I'm always looking for new books to read. 

Tuesday 2 June 2015

New Releases: June, 2015

The New Releases of June, 2015:
 
I saw this an idea very similar to this on Xpresso Reads - where they post a weekly "Fresh Batch" that shows all the new releases coming out. I wanted to do something similar but in monthly format. Here it is then.
 
These are the June 2015 releases I am excited for:-
 
 
Fantasy/Paranormal/Sci-fi:
 

 
The Stars Never Rise by Rachel Vincent

Dystopia:
 
 
The Choosing by Rachelle Dekker
 
Mystery:
 
 
Daughter of Deep Silence by Carrie Ryan
The Devil You Know by Trish Doller
Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
 
Horror:


The Rules (Wolf Spring Chronicles #1) by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguie

Contemporary:
 
 
In Search of Sam by Kristin Butcher
Hello, I Love You by Katie M. Stout
After Hours by Claire Kennedy


 
Joyride by Anna Banks
Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone
 
 
Last Year's Mistake by  Gina Ciocca
The Night We Said Yes by Lauren Gibaldi

 
Alive by Chandler Baker
Proof of Forever by Lexa Hillyer
Even When You Lie to Me by Jessica Alcott
 
 
Retellings:
 
 
The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly by Martha Brockenbrough

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Some of these books I have the privilege of reading before there release dates. This is normally because of a read-to-review opportunity but may be for other reasons as well. This time I have already read the following (links to reviews are below each picture):-


In Search of Sam by Kristin Butcher