Monday, September 30, 2013

Review Time #44

Finding Home by Lauren K. McKellar

Moody, atmospheric, and just a little bit punk, Finding Home takes contemporary YA to a new level of grit...

When Amy’s mum dies, the last thing she expects is to be kicked off her dad’s music tour all the way to her Aunt Lou in a depressing hole of a seaside town. But it’s okay — Amy learned how to cope with the best, and soon finds a hard-drinking, party-loving crowd to help ease the pain. 

The only solace is her music class, but even there she can’t seem to keep it together, sabotaging her grade and her one chance at a meaningful relationship. It takes a hard truth from her only friend before Amy realises that she has to come to terms with her past, before she destroys her future.


I'm so glad that I got approved for this on Netgalley because it is an AUSTRALIAN author and is set in Melbourne! 

Amy's life has been turned upside down, her mum dies, her dad is touring, she is drinking, moves to her Aunt Lou's and has to make new friends without anyone knowing who her father is. Amy finds her calmness in music, when she sings or plays the keyboard she can relax and let the music take control.

At Cherrybrook High Amy meets Luke and Nick, both musos like Amy and who want her on there performance piece for their final music assessment. Luke, to Amy seems like the perfect guy, someone who she might just love but Amy never looked past the surface of him or any character really which bugged me because why would you go for someone who has a girlfriend and would cheat on her? I wasn't a fan on how she could overlook this situation, even if she didn't like his girlfriend.

Nick is sweet, smart and a good muso, I like how his character was developed and how he portrayed his feelings even if they weren't always in the best way. Her best friend that she makes with Lily isn't the best role model for Amy with everything that she has been going through, especially all the drinking. Amy isn't on the right track when she starts at Cherrybrook High she is still acting out and her drinking which is getting slowly out of control doesn't decrease with Lily as her friend.

Each character has there own flaw, which are really teenage flaws which everyone can relate to. The quick read is a great Australian novel with parts that you can easily relate to and want the characters to become who they can be, despite everything that has happened to them. It was great to see how Amy reacted to everything that she has gone through because it does happen everyday to teenagers and is something that everyone should be aware of.

Rating: 4/5

Keely xx

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday #10

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 Crash Into You by Katie McGarry!

From acclaimed author Katie McGarry comes an explosive new tale of a good girl with a reckless streak, a street-smart guy with nothing to lose, and a romance forged in the fast lane 

The girl with straight As, designer clothes and the perfect life-that's who people expect Rachel Young to be. So the private-school junior keeps secrets from her wealthy parents and overbearing brothers...and she's just added two more to the list. One involves racing strangers down dark country roads in her Mustang GT. The other? Seventeen-year-old Isaiah Walker-a guy she has no business even talking to. But when the foster kid with the tattoos and intense gray eyes comes to her rescue, she can't get him out of her mind. 

Isaiah has secrets, too. About where he lives, and how he really feels about Rachel. The last thing he needs is to get tangled up with a rich girl who wants to slum it on the south side for kicks-no matter how angelic she might look. 

But when their shared love of street racing puts both their lives in jeopardy, they have six weeks to come up with a way out. Six weeks to discover just how far they'll go to save each other.


After loving McGarry's debut of Pushing the Limits and loving Dare You Too, I am super excited for Crash Into You AND it is Isaiah's story :D *squeell* 

Crash Into You is out November 26th! So get onto it and if you haven't read PTL or DYT you should go check them out! You can find my review of DYT here

What are you waiting on this week? Let me know!

Keely xx

Sunday, September 15, 2013

A to Z Book Survey!

Jamie over at The Perpetual Page Turner makes the funnest posts - she's the one that started the End of Year Book survey and she just made this fun one A to Z survey!



Author you've read the most books from
Carolyn Keene the author behind Nancy Drew! I don't know how many that I have read but there is a lot and I love Nancy Drew! Also more recently I have read 10 books each from Ally Carter and Richelle Mead.

Best sequel ever
Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas! My review wenr up yesterday and well it took me a good two weeks to write this review because it was so good!

Currently reading
I am about to start The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

Drink of choice while reading
Water

E-reader or physical copy
Both. E-reader for uni because I cannot cart my physical copies to and from uni every year for the next five years (I live on campus). But I do love physical copies because nothing is better than holding your favourite book in your hands

Fictional character you probably would have dated in High School
ZACHARY GOODE! Okay that was far fetched this teenage spy doesn't spend much time at school, lets face it the last time he went to school regularly was Sophmore year. Ryan Hunter from Play with Me by Piper Shelly because he is a soccer player! Also my ex-boyfriend from high school was a soccer player too

Glad you gave this book a chance
The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa 

Hidden Gem book
Gracie Faltrain Gets it Right (Finally) by Cath Crowley who is also the author for Graffiti Moon which I desperately need to read!

Important moment in your reading life
When I restarted my blog back up and joined the twitter and goodreads community

Just finished
If I Stay by Evan Reeves

Kind of books you won't read
I am not a huge fan of Dystopian books, I like The Hunger Games but it isn't a series that I would consider in my top 10 or even top 20.

Longest book you have read
According to Goodreads is Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix- 766 pages

Major book hangover because of
Everything Left Unsaid by Jessica Davidson. I couldn't function after this book, it just emotionally assassinated me

Number of bookcases you own
I have one at home BUT I have 4 shelves and a bookcase when I am at uni. Most of my books live in boxes at the moment because I took a lot to uni and left a whole bookcase at home but of course I bought more books while being at uni so I could fill 3 of the bookcases I have at home

One book you have read multiple times
Gallagher Girls by Ally Carter

Preferred place to read
Bed. It is so comfy to lay down and relax

Quote that inspires you/gives you all the feels from a book you've read
"What is a Gallagher Girl?"
"She's a genius, a scientist, a heroine, a spy... A Gallagher Girl is whatever she wants to be."- United We Spy
This quote is in the final chapters of the final book in my favourite series and pretty much sums up what everyone needs to know what life, you are whatever you want to be.

Reading regret
I still haven't read Percy Jackson...

Series you started and need to finish (all the books are out)
The Private Series by Kate Brain. I love those psycotic, murdering teenagers

Three all time favourite books
Out of Sight, Out of Time by Ally Carter
Graice Faltrain Gets it Right (Finally) by Cath Crowley
The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

Unapologetic fangirl for
Zachary Goode- Gallagher Girls
Chaol Westfall- Throne of Glass
Nick Merrick- Elementals series

Very excited for this release more than all the others
Secret by Brigid Kemmerer because I finally get a whole book of Nick Merrick loving!

Worst bookish habit
I like to eat while I read... crumbs get everywhere

Your last book purchase
Physical Book: The Bone Season
E-Book: If I Stay

Zzz-snatcher book
Finding Olivia by Micalea Smeltzer and United We Spy by Ally Carter 

Keely xx

Saturday, September 14, 2013

Review Time #43

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Mass

Eighteen-year-old Celaena Sardothien is bold, daring and beautiful – the perfect seductress and the greatest assassin her world has ever known. But though she won the King’s contest and became his champion, Celaena has been granted neither her liberty nor the freedom to follow her heart. The slavery of the suffocating salt mines of Endovier that scarred her past is nothing compared to a life bound to her darkest enemy, a king whose rule is so dark and evil it is near impossible to defy. Celaena faces a choice that is tearing her heart to pieces: kill in cold blood for a man she hates, or risk sentencing those she loves to death. Celaena must decide what she will fight for: survival, love or the future of a kingdom. Because an assassin cannot have it all . . . And trying to may just destroy her.

Love or loathe Celaena, she will slice open your heart with her dagger and leave you bleeding long after the last page of the highly anticipated sequel in what is undeniably THE hottest new fantasy series.


Wow. This book was just simply amazing, so many twists and turns, deaths and new magical secrets arise. It was the perfect squeal to Throne of Glass which I also loved. 

Celaena Sardothien is the King of Adarlan's Champion, pretty much meaning that she is the Kings assassin. We pick up around four months after the end of Throne of Glass and Celaena already has a secret, she isn't assassinating those who the King wants dead, but faking their deaths. We see a lot of her past in this book, why she "snapped" at Endovier, her family and Sam. 

There is a lot of secrets this time around, people are not who they seem. But really what is to be expected, they are at war and no-one knows who side everyone is on. We meet some new characters and we are reunited with some favourites, Nehemia, Chaol and Dorian are back and we meet Roland, Mort and Archer. Each of the characters plays a role in their own right and everyone is keeping secrets.

As we found out in Throne of Glass we know that a few of characters have something magical in them or at least understand what is happening around them. Celaena learns more about the Wyrdmarks from Nehemia who seems to be hiding something from her. Dorian is starting to stand up to his father, who has more power than ever and with Celaena being his assassin his threat is greater than ever. 

Chaol Westfall, Captain of the Guard, what can I say? We get to see more of him with Celaena *squeallll* and his complicated relationship with his father, yes the father who pretty much disowned when he decided to the Captain of the Guard instead of being a Lord. We also get an insight into his relationship with Dorian which is great because we didn't get to see much of this in Throne of Glass. Dorian Havilliard the Crowned Prince is finally sticking up for himself and looking past what his father is making the world become. Even after everything that happened in Throne of Glass Dorian and Celaena are still able to maintain a great friendship, the secrets that they uncover about themselves and each other. Nehemia is helping Dorian out with everything happening between their countries and his father.

Crown of Midnight was the perfect sequel to Throne of Glass the mystery, secrets and hidden pasts of characters. The ending will leave you in suspense wishing you had the next book in your hands right there and then.

Rating: 5/5

Keely xx 

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Review Time #42

United We Spy by Ally Carter

Cammie Morgan has one semester left until she graduates from the Gallagher Academy. Now she just has to stay alive that long.

In the heart-bounding conclusion to the bestselling Gallagher Girls series, Cammie faces her greatest mission yet. She finally knows why the terrorist organisation called the Circle of Cavan wanted her dead, but what they have planned next is even more terrifying. And if that isn't enough to worry about, Zach is who-knows-where, and his criminally insane mother is after Cammie.

The Gallagher Girls must sneak out (of the country), track down the Circle's elite members and stop them before they unleash a plot that will change Cammie- and the world- forever. (From Goodreads) 

"Tell me Cameron Ann Morgan, what do you want to be when you grow up?"... "Alive."

I have been reading the Gallagher Girls since I was 13 and in year 8 at school, I found the series at Brisbane airport where I was about to go on adventure to Cairns. That day was the first time I had ever flown on a plane and that day was also the day I found out about the Gallagher Girls. I am now 18 and in my first year of University and the final Gallagher Girls book is out. 

It is winter break, Cammie is with Bex, her mum and Bex's parents in London, of course they are on a mission with everything that has happened since Cammie came back from her summer holiday being tortured. They are on a hunt for the inner circle and of course they are very hard targets to get. 

Zach and Mr. Solomon are off on a lead, Agent Townsend and Abby on another and of course Catherine is out there with vengeance on her mind. For the girls it might be their last semester of their senior year, but it is about surviving to see graduation and the circle everywhere, even in the Gallagher Academy. 

United We Spy is so much more fast paced than any other book in the series. I read it on my kindle before my copy arrived and I felt myself going is this it? Dangerous missions that no-one can know about, traitors are everywhere and where ever you look the girls and Zach are in trouble. Travelling around the world to stop the inner circle and the original plan that Cavan had when he founded the group.

The characters, if possible, develop more so than ever before. We had Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover which had Macey's history spotlighted, Bex has had her story told over all six books, Out of Sight, Out of Time was really Cammie's book more so than the others and United We Spy was Liz's past, something that we didn't get a lot of in the other books. 

Cammie struggles with everything going on, she can't deal with people getting hurt and that graduation is literally just around the corner. The danger is everywhere and they can't hide from it when it involves saving the world from what the Circle of Cavan planned all those years ago. 

"I'm a spy, Cam. I was born to do this- to be this. It's in my blood. And I will do it until the day I die. It's who I am,"..."the thing is I don't think you realise is... it's who you are too."

United We Spy was a great ending to my favourite series, while I am sad that it all over I can still re-read the series. The secrets are all out, the future is rocky, graduation is almost here... it is time to finish things once and for all.

"What is a Gallagher Girl?"
"She's a genius, a scientist, a heroine, a spy.. A Gallagher Girls is whatever she wants to be."

Rating: 5/5

Thanks to Date a Book for the copy from last review of the month!

Keely xx

Sunday, September 8, 2013

July, August and some of September Wrap Up

Hey everyone! I have a huge epic, book haul right now, yep this book haul filled up my whiteboard and some of my notebook... that's right I ran out of room. I have been MIA on the blog in the last month because uni took hold and refused to let me blog, rude right? I have FOUR weeks left of classes until my semester exams and then my first year of uni is over! But since my degree is changing next year I am here at uni for FIVE years now not four, which is annoying but I get do better units which makes me feel a little bit better.

I also got a tumblr, I don't know what I am doing with it but I found all these Teen Wolf, Gallagher Girls, NCIS, Bones, Castle and everything else gifs, and edits... I try to stay off it, I can't get addicted! My name is this blog, my spin on books so follow if you want completely random things to fill up your dashboard! 

Now time for this epic haul I have been talking about:

Bought- physical copies:

  • The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon
  • Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Mass
  • Camp Boyfriend by J. K. Rock
  • Breathe by Abbi Glines
  • The Academy: Game On by Monica Seles

Bought- E-Books:

  • Broken and Screwed 2 by Tijan
  • Jaded and Still Jaded by Tijan
  • Anywhere with you by Kaylee Ryan
  • Sometimes it Lasts by Abbi Glines
  • Unteachable by Leah Raeder
  • Shattered Hearts (1-3) by Cassia Leo
  • Keep Me Still by Casey Quinn
  • Beanth your Beautiful by Tamsyn Bester
  • Unbreakable by Rebecca Shea
  • Let Me In by Leigh Jackson
  • Forever Altered by DJ. Pierson
  • The Complete Memories Series by Emma Hart 
  • Near and Far by Nicole Williams
  • Trying not to love you and Easy to love you by Megan Smith
  • This Time Around by Ellie Grace
  • The Hazards of Skinny Dipping by Alyssa Ivy
  • Selling Scarlett by Ella James
  • Drowning in you by Rebecca Berto
  • Shatter by Rachel Van Dyken
  • Accidentaly on Purpose by L.D. Davis
  • Three Years Later by Casey McMillin
  • In this Moment by Autumn Doughton
  • Where I end and you begin by Andrea Brynn

Borrowed:

  • Where or When by Anita Shreve
  • Body Surfing by Anita Shreve

Won:

  • Dead Jealous by Sharon James
Thanks to Date a Book on facebook for holding this competition!

ARCs:

  • Tempt the Stars (Cassie Palmer #6) by Karen Chance 
Thanks Penguin for this ARC, I haven't read the other books but I will look for them when I am home from uni!

So that was my hugely epic book haul since JULY, that was a long time ago, that was Winter and it is now SPRING!! Even being in Armidale and that cold winter we had, I am yet to wear jeans, tank tops and shorts every day and I love it!

Reviews will be coming soon! Also the LAST book in the Gallagher Girls series is out in TWO DAYS PEOPLE I AM NOT PREPARED FOR THIS *breathe Keely* but I am so excited for it guys!

Keely xx