Monday, December 30, 2013

December Wrap Up

It is the end of 2013! This year has gone by so quickly and what a great year of fantastic things and things that weren't so fantastic, but that is life. Moving away from home, starting university, turning 18 (and becoming an adult), lots of new friends and playing new sports. Of course reading of a lot of fantastic books and I started blogging a lot more this year while I could. December is a big wrap up with me buying loads of e-books (I can't help myself when they are so cheap guys!) and also because it was just Christmas!

Review Copies:

  • Almost Dead by Kaz Delaney 
  • Hades by Candice Fox
Thanks Allen and Unwin and also Random House Australia!

E-ARCs:
  • Covert Interview by Missy Marciassa (Covert #2)
  • Secret by Brigid Kemmerer (Elementals #4)
  • And We Stay by Jenny Hubbard
  • The Destiny of Violet and Luke by Jessica Sorensen
  • Fallen Crest Public by Tijan
Thanks Netgalley & publishers!

Won:
  • Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans (thanks Allen & Unwin for the comp on facebook!)
Bought:
  • Pawn by Aimee Carter
  • Taste of Darkness by Maria V. Synder (this books is going to be my absolute my favourite book for 2014!)
Bought E-Books:
  • T is for he's a Total Jerk... by Piper Shelley (Grover Beach #3)
  • Wild Cards by Simone Elkeles 
  • Room for You by Beth Ehemann
  • Sweet Surrendering by Chelsea M. Cameron
  • More Than This & More Than Her by Jay McLean
  • Letting Go by Jennifer Foor
  • Just Breathe & Breathless by Racheal Brooks
  • The Redemption of Callie and Kayden by Jessica Sorensen
  • Misbehaving by Abbi Glines
  • Black Heart by R.L Mathewson 
  • A Humble Heart by R.L Mathewson
  • A Reclusive Heart by R.L Mathewson
  • Under The Mistletoe by Kristen Proby
  • Learning to Live & Learning to Heal by R.D Cole
  • On Dublin Street & Down London Road by Samantha Young
  • My Brother's Best Friend by Becky Andrews
  • Rocked Under by Cora Hawkes 
  • Off Sides by Sawyer Bennett 
  • Try Me by Diane Alberts
  • For Real by Chelsea M. Cameron
  • Undescribable & Unbearable by Shantel Tessier
  • Fearless & Reackless by Devon Hartford
  • Sweet Home by Tillie Cole
Christmas Presents:
  • The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak- I absolutly adore this book, one of my all time favourites & I didn't own a copy but luckily my best friend knows me well & got it for me
  • Just One Year by Gayle Forman
  • Catching Jordan, Stealing Parker, Thing's I Can't Forget & Racing Savannah by Miranda Kenneally- even though I already own two e-book versions of both CJ & SP & one e-book version of TICF I asked my family secret santa for all these in paperback + Just One Year
So that is my massive December Wrap Up post! So many books!! All I have left to read is four books in this massive list, because when I buy e-books I read them straight away. 

Link me to your weekly/montly wrap ups below!

Keely xx

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Most Anticipated 2014 Books!

The first two books I've already read but are set to be 2014 releases!

Taste of Darkness by Maria V. Synder
She's fought death and won. But how can she fight her fears?

Avry knows hardship and trouble. She fought the plague and survived. She took on King Tohon and defeated him. But now her heart-mate, Kerrick, is missing, and Avry fears he's gone forever.

But there's a more immediate threat. The Skeleton King plots to claim the Fifteen Realms for his own. With armies in disarray and the dead not staying down, Avry's healing powers are needed now more than ever.Torn between love and loyalty, Avry must choose her path carefully. For the future of her world depends on her decision.


Out 1st of January 2014! Already in some Australian stores. It is a fantastic ending to a brilliant trilogy and currently is my favourite 2014 book!

Secret by Brigid Kemmerer

Nowhere is safe. Not even home…

Nick Merrick is stretched to the breaking point.

Keep his grades sky-high or he’ll never escape his hometown.

Keep his brother’s business going or the Merricks will be out on the street.

Keep the secret of where he’s going in the evenings from his own twin—or he’ll lose his family.

Keep his mind off the hot, self-assured dancer who’s supposed to be his “girlfriend’s” partner.

Of course there’s also the homicidal freak Quinn has taken to hanging around, and the Elemental Guide counting the hours until he can try again to kill the Merrick brothers.There’s a storm coming. From all sides. And then some.
Nick Merrick, can you keep it together? 

Out 28th of January 2014! This was by far the best Elementals book so far & is equal with Taste of Darkness as my favourite 2014 release.

Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins
From the glittering streets of Manhattan to the moonlit rooftops of Paris, falling in love is easy for hopeless dreamer Isla and introspective artist Josh. But as they begin their senior year in France, Isla and Josh are quickly forced to confront the heartbreaking reality that happily-ever-afters aren’t always forever.

Their romantic journey is skillfully intertwined with those of beloved couples Anna and Étienne and Lola and Cricket, whose paths are destined to collide in a sweeping finale certain to please fans old and new.


Out sometime in 2014!

The Geography of Me and You by Jennifer E. Smith

Lucy and Owen meet somewhere between the tenth and eleventh floors of a New York City apartment building, on an elevator rendered useless by a citywide blackout. After they're rescued, they spend a single night together, wandering the darkened streets and marveling at the rare appearance of stars above Manhattan. But once the power is restored, so is reality. Lucy soon moves to Edinburgh with her parents, while Owen heads out west with his father.

Lucy and Owen's relationship plays out across the globe as they stay in touch through postcards, occasional e-mails, and -- finally -- a reunion in the city where they first met.

A carefully charted map of a long-distance relationship, Jennifer E. Smith's new novel shows that the center of the world isn't necessarily a place. It can be a person, too.


Out 15th of April 2014!

Almost Dead by Kaz Delaney
A glitzy whodunit set amongst the Gold Coast elite and a hilarious romance between Macey Pentecost, the privileged teenager with a social conscience who just happens to see ghosts, and the good-looking surf champion Finn.

Macey's life has been turned upside down. Her mother has left, her father is absent and her two best friends (her brother Seth and his girlfriend Willow) are MIA. On top of that Macey is being visited by ghosts who need her help to 'move on'. But as wild as all that sounds, it's all under Macey's control until a rakish, good-looking spirit called Nick turns up ... in her bedroom!

Nick's a spirit with spirit who insists he's not dead, he's astral travelling and has a message for Macey: someone is out to get her. Macey's biting wit has got her in trouble before, so she's not surprised but when the threatening notes start turning up, she's seriously shaken. Does someone want her dead?

It's all rather disturbing but she's finding it hard to focus on who could mean her harm with the annoyingly handsome surf god Finn turning up at the most inopportune times and a father with a rather large surprise of his own.

Is it a case of bad timing? Or are these things somehow connected? And if they are, what on earth should she wear when she's solving the mystery?


Out 2nd of January 2014! I have a review copy of this sitting on my bookshelf, super excited to read it!

Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson

The Pre-Sloane Emily didn't go to parties, she barely talked to guys, she didn't do anything crazy. Enter Sloane, social tornado and the best kind of best friend—the one who yanks you out of your shell.But right before what should have been an epic summer, Sloane just... disappears. No note. No calls. No texts. No Sloane. There’s just a random to-do list. On it, thirteen Sloane-selected-definitely-bizarre-tasks that Emily would never try... unless they could lead back to her best friend. Apple Picking at Night? Ok, easy enough.Dance until Dawn? Sure. Why not? Kiss a Stranger? Wait... what?

Getting through Sloane’s list would mean a lot of firsts. But Emily has this whole unexpected summer ahead of her, and the help of Frank Porter (totally unexpected) to check things off. Who knows what she’ll find?

Go Skinny Dipping? Um...


Out 6th of May 2014!

The Immortal Crown by Richelle Mead
Gameboard of the Gods introduced religious investigator Justin March and Mae Koskinen, the beautiful supersoldier assigned to protect him. Together they have been charged with investigating reports of the supernatural and the return of the gods, both inside the Republic of United North America and out. With this highly classified knowledge comes a shocking revelation: Not only are the gods vying for human control, but the elect—special humans marked by the divine—are turning against one another in bloody fashion.

Their mission takes a new twist when they are assigned to a diplomatic delegation headed by Lucian Darling, Justin’s old friend and rival, going into Arcadia, the RUNA’s dangerous neighboring country. Here, in a society where women are commodities and religion is intertwined with government, Justin discovers powerful forces at work, even as he struggles to come to terms with his own reluctantly acquired deity.

Meanwhile, Mae—grudgingly posing as Justin’s concubine—has a secret mission of her own: finding the illegitimate niece her family smuggled away years ago. But with Justin and Mae resisting the resurgence of the gods in Arcadia, a reporter’s connection with someone close to Justin back home threatens to expose their mission—and with it the divine forces the government is determined to keep secret.



Out 29th May 2014!

Dead Silent by Sharon James
A snow angel etched in blood. An elite society. A secret dying to get out.

The second Poppy Sinclair Thriller.


Out 6th of February 2014! No real synopsis yet but the first chapter can be found in Dead Jealous

Silver Shadows by Richelle Mead
In The Fiery Heart, Sydney risked everything to follow her gut, walking a dangerous line to keep her feelings hidden from the Alchemists.

Now in the aftermath of an event that ripped their world apart, Sydney and Adrian struggle to pick up the pieces and find their way back to each other. But first, they have to survive. 

For Sydney, trapped and surrounded by adversaries, life becomes a daily struggle to hold on to her identity and the memories of those she loves. Meanwhile, Adrian clings to hope in the face of those who tell him Sydney is a lost cause, but the battle proves daunting as old demons and new temptations begin to seize hold of him. . . .


Their worst fears now a chilling reality, Sydney and Adrian face their darkest hour in this heart-pounding fifth installment in the New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series, where all bets are off.


Out 29th of July 2014!

Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi
The heart-stopping conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Shatter Me series, which Ransom Riggs, bestselling author of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, called "a thrilling, high-stakes saga of self-discovery and forbidden love"

Juliette now knows she may be the only one who can stop the Reestablishment. But to take them down, she'll need the help of the one person she never thought she could trust: Warner. And as they work together, Juliette will discover that everything she thought she knew-about Warner, her abilities, and even Adam-was wrong.

In Shatter Me, Tahereh Mafi created a captivating and original story that combined the best of dystopian and paranormal and was praised by Publishers Weekly as "a gripping read from an author who's not afraid to take risks." The sequel, Unravel Me, blew readers away with heart-racing twists and turns, and New York Times bestselling author Kami Garcia said it was "dangerous, sexy, romantic, and intense." Now this final book brings the series to a shocking and climactic end.


Out 4th of February 2014!

The One By Kiera Cass
The Selection changed the lives of thirty-five girls forever. And now, the time has come for one winner to be chosen.

America never dreamed she would find herself anywhere close to the crown—or to Prince Maxon's heart. But as the competition approaches its end and the threats outside the palace walls grow more vicious, America realizes just how much she stands to lose—and how hard she'll have to fight for the future she wants.
From the very first page of The Selection, this #1 New York Times bestselling series has captured readers' hearts and swept them away on a captivating journey... Now, in The One, Kiera Cass delivers a satisfying and unforgettable conclusion that will keep readers sighing over this electrifying fairy-tale long after the final page is turned. 

Out 8th of May 2014!

These are just some of the great books coming out next year! As you can most are YA because it is going to be a great year for YA even though so many more series are finishing!

Keely xx

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

The Best Books of 2013!

It is that time of year again, the time for me to tell you guys what I have loved this year!

Best YA Paranormal:
The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead, I loved this one & surprisingly more than The Fiery Heart which was steamy. I also loved Spirit by Brigid Kemmerer.
Best YA Sci-Fi:
Between The Lives by Jessica Shirvington, loved this standalone novel! These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner.
Best YA Fantasy:
Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas, one of the best sequels I've read! Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers is also another fantasy that I couldn't put down!
Best YA Romance:
Dare You To by Katie McGarry, loved this and while I haven't read Crash Into You yet I'm sure I will love it too. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green I also loved this one a lot.
Best YA Contemporary:
Wildfire by Fiona Wood, an Aussie book which I adored! Also loved Confessions of an Almost Girlfriend by Louise Rozett.
Best YA Sport Themed:
Grover Beach Team series by Piper Shelly, have been loving this series and it is soccer focused! Also loved Wild Cards by Simone Elkeles.
Best YA Mystery/Spying:
United We Spy by Ally Carter, this should be no surprise! Also loved Dead Silence by Kimberly Derting which also ended The Body Finder series too!
Best Adult Romance:
With Me in Seattle Series by Kristen Proby, only found this series a few weeks ago and have fallen in love with it! Also been loving R.L. Mathewson's books.
Best Adult Paranormal:
Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead, loved, loved, loved this!
Best Adult Fantasy:
The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon, a great start to a new series!
Best NA Romance:
Sometimes It Lasts by Abbi Glines, I am a Cage & Eva fan and this book gave me more! Forever Altered by D.J. Pierson was also fantastic!
Best NA Contemporary:
More Than Her by Jay McLean, loved Logan's story. Impossible by Komal Kant was also a fantastic book
Best NA Series:
Seaside by Rachel Van Dyken, I have just loved this series! Fallen Crest Series by Tijan, have just loved this series & book 3 is out Dec. 30!
Best NA Book:
My Favourite Mistake by Chelsea M. Cameron! This book was a great NA & had no insta love, more like insta hate.
Best YA Book:
Wildfire by Fiona Wood! This was just a fantastic book which I related to so much, defiantly worth a read.
Best Adult Book:
Safe With Me by Kristen Proby! My favourite out of the With Me in Seattle series.
Best 2013 Debut:
Hooked by Liz Fichera, this is a sport YA focused book and I just loved it!
Best 2013 Series Ending: 
Gallagher Girls by Ally Carter,such a great ending to my favourite series. Violet Eden Chapters by Jessica Shrivington also a great ending to another great series.
Best series started this year:
With Me in Seattle by Kristen Proby (Adult), Fallen Crest by Tijan (NA) and Grover Beach Team by Piper Shelly (YA)
Best Novella's:
Doubled Crossed by Ally Carter, Hiest Society & Gallagher Girls in ONE BOOK! Breathless by Brigid Kemmerer and Crossing the Line by Katie McGarry
Favourite 2013 Author:
R.L Mathewson (Adult), Tijan (NA) and Ally Carter (YA)
Best book released in 2013 (YA, NA + Adult):
Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter (YA)
Honorable Mentions:
Things I Can't Forget by Miranda Kenneally
Just One Day by Gayle Foreman
Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley
Paper Covers Rock by Jenny Hubbard
The Academy by Monica Seles
Steal My Sunshine by Emily Gayle
The First Third by Will Kostakis
On The Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
Covert Assignment by Missy Marciassa

So that is my 2013 favourites! Took me a few hours to come up with list after reading so many good books this year. Tomorrow I will have my most anticipated 2014 books!

Keely xx

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Review Time #52

These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner


It's a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone. 

Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they’re worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help. 

Then, against all odds, Lilac and Tarver find a strange blessing in the tragedy that has thrown them into each other’s arms. Without the hope of a future together in their own world, they begin to wonder—would they be better off staying here forever?

Everything changes when they uncover the truth behind the chilling whispers that haunt their every step. Lilac and Tarver may find a way off this planet. But they won’t be the same people who landed on it.


After hearing lots of good things from this book, I decided to look past the fact that it sci-fi, which is a genre that I normally don't read too much because it doesn't appeal to me like other genres. However, I am glad I made the leap to read this book because it exceeded my expectations. 

Major Tarver Merendsen doesn't know what he expected from going to a party where he and his medals are only for show, for the media, however, a girl with red hair he can't take his eyes off intrigues him. Lilac LaRoux, daughter of the galaxy's most powerful man, Roderick LaRoux. She is always recognised and everybody always wants something from her, until Tarver who doesn't recognise her at first since he stopped paying any attention to the media.

When Icarus gets pulled out of hyperspace, Tarver and Lilac end up together in an escape pod trying to eject themselves from the spaceliner. Lilac has a past which isn't explored much at the start of the novel, all you see of Lilac in Tarver's POV is that she is a spoiled princess, daddys girl etc. expect that she knows her way when it comes to circuits & mechanical engineering.

Crash landing on a plant that neither of them has seen or heard of before, with no apparent lifeforms (i.e. people) around to tell them. Trying to stay alive they learn to trust each other and for Lilac, how to survive with only basic supplies from the emergency pod. As they head for where Icarus crash-landed to see if anyone survived or if they could get more supplies, we learn more about Tarver & Lilac as they bicker, argue and fight there way to the site.

Both characters change a lot through out their journey, while 100 pages is them walking/making it to the site it still provides a lot of information that about each of them. We learn about Tarver & his family and why it is important for him to return home. We also get to see more of Lilac's past about why she was so cool and distant towards Tarver when they first met. I loved how in between each chapter was a part of Tarver's debriefing from when he gets found, it never tells you anything about Lilac which makes you wonder what has happened on that plant. The twist at the end was surprising and it interesting to see something like that put into this world. The romance was great because it wasn't sudden or forced but natural which was refreshing from some previous books I've read recently. 

Overall, These Broken Stars was a great read and apart of a world that I will enjoy reading the companion novels that are apart of The Starbound Trilogy and to see the twist explored more throughout these novels! Highly recommend this to readers who are a fan of YA Sci-Fi and those who aren't because you might end up enjoying it like me!

Thanks to Allen and Unwin Australia for sending me a review copy!

Rating: 4/5

Keely xx

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Review Time #51

Keeping Her by Cora Carmack

What happens after the happy ending?

Garrick is over the moon that his girlfriend, Bliss, said yes. He's finally found the love of his life. That means his worries are over, right?

But when he invites her to visit London and meet his family, he is presented with a whole new set of problems. How will his privileged and wealthy family react to Bliss's unique brand of awkwardness?


Keeping Her is Losing It #1.5, the novella is set around a year after the end of Losing It and we get to see how Bliss & Garrick's relationship has progressed since they both moved on to performing in theatre. We get a glimpse into Garrick's old life back in London which is completely different to how he is living and working in the states.

For Bliss meeting his parents has made her a nervous wreck and only wants to please his family. Of course, Bliss being clumsy and just Bliss she makes a slight fool out of herself when she first meets his mother (not the best first impression). Bliss is a bit overwhelmed by everything that is in Garrick's life in London and when surprises happen, Garrick only does what he thinks is best for them but when really isn't what Bliss wants.

We get to see them struggle to work through differences of opinions, pressures of his family and friends. Keeping Her was a great insight into Garrick's life in London and how Bliss reacts to it all. While I wish it was a full novel, the novella doesn't disappoint and is worth reading even if you have already read Lossing It #2!

Rating: 4.5/5

Keely xx

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Top Ten Tuesday #8

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week there is a new topic and we all share our thoughts on that topic! 

For this week on Top Ten Tuesday, the topic is:

Top Ten Books on my Winter TBR

This week's Top Ten Tuesday is really my SUMMER TBR!!!! Because in Australia it is summer and the temperature doesn't want to get any lower than 25 degrees most days and it loves sneaking in some 48 degrees days (yea summer in Aus gets pretty hot).

  1. These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
  2. Almost Dead by Kaz Delaney
  3. Pawn by Aimee Carter
  4. Crash Into You by Katie McGarry
  5. Dead Silent by Sharon Jones
  6. Fallen Crest Public by Tijan
  7. Misbehaving by Abbi Glines
  8. Just One Year by Gayle Forman
  9. Racing Savannah by Miranda Kenneally
  10. Taste of Darkness by Maria V. Synder
So that is my Top Ten Books on my Summer (winter) TBR! Link me below in the comments your Top Ten Tuesday!

Keely xx

Monday, December 9, 2013

50 Random Facts Tag

I saw this tag on Sunny's blog a Sunny Spot and I thought that this tag might help me get out of this lack of blogging lately.



1. My full name is Keely Lorraine Crosbie
2. I just finished my first year of uni studying a B. of Exercise and Sports Science (Clinical Exercise Physiology) which is changing next year to B. of Exercise Physiology
3. I love sport, I even watched the first match of Ashes last week & the Australian Open for Golf
4. I am a volunteer surf life saver and I love it
5. I love playing soccer and waterpolo
6. My favourite animals are Dolphins
7. Last time I went to the beach with my friends and they decided that I was part Dolphin
8. My favourite authors is Ally Carter, Maria V. Snyder and Richelle Mead
9. I am slightly addicted to twitter
10. Amazon should not have 1-Click buying because I by way too many ebooks that I shouldn't
11. I hate winter, summer is my favourite season
12. I find it strange that I have 4 months off uni
13. I recently got a new job working at a pool on a waterslide
14. I LOVE NCIS, BONES, Greys Anatomy, Castle and Body of Proof
15. My mum has told me that my presents from now on will having something to do with furniture or appliances so when I move out I have something 
16. Apparently only having me live at home for 5months a year is 5 to many
17. Moving out of home and going to a country uni has been the best decision I have made
18. I can't wait to start uni next year because of the units I get to do
19. Blue is my favourite colour
20. Since finishing High School last year I only still talk to my two best friends 
21. I love mystery & murder books (no I am a psychopath)
22. It is already a few days into December and my advent calender has no chocolate left... (I'm addicted)
23. I really can't wait to see Catching Fire again!
24. A uni friend got me addicted to Youtube and Youtuber's

25. I procrastinate a lot
26. I helped a friend with his psych conclusion & then he did better than me
27. I hated psychology
28. I am addicted to my Kindle
29. I am slowly moving towards NA and Adult books but I will always come back to YA
30. I want more sport focused YA books, see how sport's obsessed I am?
31. I love spies hence why I love Gallagher Girls and the TV show Covert Affairs
32. Zachary Goode has been one of my favourite book boyfriends since I've read Cross my heart and hope to spy
33. I think after reading Secret that Nick Merrick has beaten him
34. Elementals is one of my new favourite series, I can't get enough
35. I have finished too many good series this year, and some bad ones
36. I love the beach, I spend a lot of my summer there or in my nans pool
37. I tried to enrol for next years classes today and it was horrible because my timetable has clashes and I can't can not take the units
38. If I didn't remind my two friends from college who do my degree that we have test etc. due they might actually forget
39. My brother drives me crazy a lot, but I still love him
40. I can't wait to go back to Europe and see more than the UK & France
41. I really want to go to Cambodia and see the killing fields after studying them in Modern History
42. If I wasn't doing my degree I would be majoring in History & Political Science
43. But I am too much of a science kid do arts
44. One day I would love to work with a national sporting team doing either exercise & sports science, exercise physiology or physiotherapy
45. I only want to do my masters because I finally be able to do what I really want which is physiotherapy
46. I somehow read incredibly fast, most avg. sized paperbacks will take me 2-3hpurs
47. I have currently read 216 books this year, not including the 100+ I've re-read
48. My quote wall has expanded to have holiday photos, uni photos, postcards & a Four poster
49. I have an obession with postcards, that is what I always buy when I visit a new place
50. I am super orgainised which comes in handy when I have a lot of things I need to balance out

So that is 50 random facts about me and I actually managed to write 50! Link me below in the comments if you have done this tag so I can check it out!

Keely xx

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Review Time #50

Waiting on the Sidelines by Ginger Scott

Nolan Lennox had things figured out. Named after a baseball legend, she enjoyed being the Tomboy, her closet filled with her brother’s hand-me-downs, cut-off jeans and soccer shorts. But when her first trip to high school results in a broken heart from the first boy to ever make her heart flutter and cruel words from an older girl she once thought a family friend, Nolan starts to question the very person she thought she was and wonders if her humble upbringing can compete with the afforded luxuries of her privileged peers.

Throughout the next four years, Nolan struggles to maintain herself throughout her path of discovery, learning just how cruel teenagers can be through the pressures of underage drinking, sexuality and class. And despite how life seems to continue to work against her, she still manages to listen to her heart, falling deeper and deeper for the guy the entire town adores, even if he only sees her as a friend. Can Nolan strike a compromise between her own integrity and the boy she loves? And can she make him notice her before it’s too late?

Reed Johnson came to Coolidge High School with a lot of fanfare. The son of a hometown football legend and the brother of a local football hero, Reed wore all the pressures of carrying a town without hope into the spotlight. Thankfully, he had the talent to back it up. But when he meets a girl who makes him think twice about exactly what being a hero means, he starts to wonder if following in his brother’s footsteps might be all wrong. 

Nolan Lennox was everything that was opposite of expected. She didn’t flirt, she didn’t drink and she didn’t sleep around. Nothing about her was easy, but something about her made Reed want to try harder. Though she didn’t look the part, she seemed to be spending a lot of time in Reed’s thoughts, and he wondered if she could be the one who made it all worthwhile. But could Reed handle letting her down? And would breaking her heart break him beyond repair?


I am a big fan of sport in YA, I can't get enough so I had to get my hands on this book!

Waiting on the Sidelines follows Nolan and Reed throughout there four years of high school and the ups and downs of the friendship that they make during freshman year. Working on a science project together really sets the pace of their friendship, Nolan is from lower middles class, wears her brothers clothes and whereas Reed's family is wealthy and on his way to becoming the quarterback for Coolidge High.

The book just flows between each year which is great as we can see how things change about each character and how they mature. Freshman year Nolan has a crush on Reed but his girlfriend Tatum is a piece of work. As there relationship grows, the more that they slowly fall for each other. Getting jobs together, driving together, things start changing between them.

When they finally get together in junior year after some not so great events, things start looking up for them, Reed is quarterback and has scouts looking at him. But when an accident happens, it tears Reed and Nolan apart. Nolan blames herself and Reed becomes a shell of who he is. Nolan starts focusing on herself and her academics, volunteer work & scholarship applications for college.

The journey that Scott takes you on is one of friendship, first love, experiences things you expect out of a contemporary YA with sport thrown in there. I reccommend this book for anyone who is a fan of Miranda Kenneally's books.

Rating: 5/5

Keely xx

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Top Ten Tuesday #7


Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week there is a new topic and we all share our thoughts on that topic! 

For this week on Top Ten Tuesday, the topic is:

Top Ten 2014 Release I'm Dying To Read

Secret by Brigid Kemmerer
Isla and The Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins
Silver Shadows by Richelle Mead
Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson
Dead Silent by Sharon Jones
Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi
Breathe, Annie, Breathe by Miranda Kenneally
Tied With Me by Kristen Proby
The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas
The Immortal Crown by Richelle Mead

What is your top 10 2014 release's? Link me in the comments below!

Keelyxx




Saturday, November 30, 2013

November Wrap Up

Hey everyone I haven't been around blogging lately not because I haven't had time, I just haven't felt like blogging this month. But I have been reading, a lot and I have completed my Goodreads goal of 200 books for the year! Although I have read over 200 books, I don't include re-readings of books. I was also supposed to go a book buying ban this month after buying The Fiery Heart but I found a few too many good e-books for a $1.

Review Copies:
  • These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
  • Empower by Jessica Shirvington (The Violet Eden Chapters #6)
Thanks Allen and Unwin and Hachette!

E-ARCs:
  • Love Match by Monica Seles (The Academy #2)
  • Keeping Her by Cora Carmack (Losing It #1.5)
  • Finding It by Cora Carmack (Losing It #3)
Bought:
  • Red Hill by Jamie McGuire 
  • Losing It by Cora Carmack (Losing It #1)
  • Faking It by Cora Carmack (Losing It #2)
  • The Fiery Heart by Richelle Mead (Bloodline #4)
Bought e-books:
  • My Favourite Mistake by Chelsea M. Cameron
  • Love Unexpected, Love Unmatched & Love Untouched by Anne Leigh
  • When You're Ready by J.L Berg
  • Forever by Rachel Van Dyken 
  • One by Mari Arden
  • Simple Perfection by Abbi Glines
  • Private Message by Danielle Torella
  • Come Away With Me, Fight With Me, Play With Me, Safe With Me and Rock With Me by Kristen Proby
  • Wrong Side Of Town by Kormal Kant
  • Hold Us Close by Caisey Quinn
  • Secrets of the Fall by Kailin Gow
  • Sometimes Never by Cheryl McIntryre
  • Jack Undone by Penelope Ward
  • A Beautiful Struggle by Lilliana Anderson
  • Something Great by M. Clarke
  • Finding You by S.K Hartly
  • Out of Line by Jen McLaughlin
  • Infatuated by Elle Jordan
  • Sudden Response by R.L Mathewson
  • Tall, Dark & Lonely by R.L Mathewson
  • Without Regret by R.L. Mathewson
  • Tall, Dark & Heartless by R.L Mathewson
Borrowed:
  • The Cinderella Moment by Jennifer Kloester
As you can see by the amount of e-books, I gave up on my book buying ban...

Let me know in the comments what you got this week/month!

Keely xx

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday #11

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that allows readers to showcase eagerly awaited upcoming releases. The week I have been waiting on Fallen Crest Public by Tijan!




Sam's first day at Fallen Crest Public doesn't go well. Some girls want to be her. Some girls want to destroy her. And some just don't like her. All in all, despite being protected by Mason and Logan, it's still only the strong survive. Sam will not only have to survive, she needs to learn how to conquer too, but there's another battle growing. Things are about to come to a disastrous end between the towns, Roussou and Fallen Crest. Sam's other main dilemma? Keeping Mason and Logan from getting arrested or hospitalized.

Cannot wait for this one to come out! After loving the first two books in the series of Fallen Crest High and Fallen Crest Family I am super excited to read this one!

So let me know below what you are waiting on this Wednesday!

Keelyxx

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Review Time #49

Empower by Jessica Shirvington

Now I was one lucky blogger who go to go to Sydney at Hachette HQ to meet Jessica & get a signed copy of Empower! Jessica is such a wonderful author and it was so lovely to meet her. I also got to catch up with Jaz from Fiction in Fiction who also was lucky enough to meet Jessica as well and Kim from two girls and novel who works at Hachette!



It has been two years since Violet Eden walked away from the city, her friends, her future and - most importantly - her soulmate, Lincoln. Part angel, part human, Violet is determined to stand by the promises she made to save the one she loves.

Living in the perpetual coldness of a broken soul she survives day to day as a Rogue Grigori in London.

But when an unexpected visitor shows up at her door, the news he bears about someone she swore to protect leaves Violet with no choice.

Even worse, she fears that this might all lead back to the night she tries hardest to forget. And what was taken without her permission.

Violet is going back to New York ... and she knows exactly who is going to be there.

With Phoenix in her dreams and Lincoln in her heart she knows it is only a matter of time before the final choice must be made.


Two years have passed since Violet left New York and left Lincoln after returning his soul to him. Living as a rouge Grigori an old enemy from when Lilith was destroyed has found Violet and he has a message for her. In her time with Gray, a rouge Grigori, from Greece helps Violet block out her emotions and keeps the coldness that she feels from having an almost completely shattered soul from when she returned from after Phoenix killed her. 

Determined never to go back to New York or where Lincoln is, changes when Onyx turns up with word that Spencer has been taken by the exile who took Violet's blood. On a mission to save her friend knows that things are going to change with Lincoln in charge of finding Spence.

We have watched Violet change and embrace her nature throughout the series none more so than in Empower. Violet is longer the confused and love stricken 17 year old we met in Embrace, (okay she is still in love) she has turned into a warrior, a weapon and a symbol. You can't help but feel for Violet and everything that she has been going through for the last two years. 

Lincoln doesn't know why Violet left him after she returned his soul to him and the anger that he has towards Violet is understandable. Lincoln has changed since Violet left him, becoming stronger and a better fighter pushing him up the academy's ranks. Phoenix, is well Phoenix and being an angel he tries to help Violet any way he can to save her. Gray, he is Violets rock when it comes to controlling her emotions and keeping it all lock away, we also learn about something funny that these two have done in London which is a great scene when they are in New York.

The challenges that they face in Empower makes what happened with Lilith child's play. Everything is on the line and only Violet has the final choice, after all she is the Keshet. 

I absolutely loved Empower, as soon as I was on the train back to Newcastle I was reading getting lost into this world wanting to know how it was going to end. I was slightly worried after reading Allegiant just as few days before but none the less it was an amazing end to this series. And so in the words of Onyx be 'Giddy with excitement... It's as if someone has rebooted your favourite movie just for you and you get to sit back and watch all over again.'

Rating: 5/5

P.S. I suggest having tissues and chocolate on standby!

Keely xx