Sunday, June 29, 2014

June Wrap Up- PTA Sydney edition

Hey everyone!

I have had a busy month with uni exams going on and heading back home for my two week mid-semester break and now heading back to uni. I also went to Sydney for PTA Live once again! Last year there was only 50 or so of us in Kino but this year we almost filled a movie theatre, yep a movie theatre. 

It was great to catch up with all my blogging friends who live in Sydney and who I only see when I'm in Sydney for bookish events. Penguin Teen also did another fantastic event telling us about all the new and upcoming books that they are releasing later this year and early next. We also got to choose from three books to keep, I got my hands on The Cinderella Moment which I have already read.

I finally saw The Fault in Our Stars the other day, 2 and half weeks after being released in Australia because where I go to uni weren't showing it & then I was too busy until last weekend to see it. I loved it, a great adaptation of a brilliant book and I didn't cry as much as I thought I would!

Now onto all the lovely books I got this month!

Review Copies (ARC):

  • Apple and Rain by Sarah Crossan
Thanks Bloomsbury Australia!

Gifted/Given:
  • What I thought was true by Huntly Fitzpatrick- Thanks to Jaz for this! Her copy was slightly damaged and they are sending her another copy, all I wanted to do was borrow the book & buy it when it was in paperback!
  • The Cinderella Moment by Jennifer Kloester- Thanks Penguin Teen
  • Undone by Shannon Richard- Kim had a copy of this ARC at work & didn't want it & saw that I wanted to read it on goodreads, gave me the copy at PTA Live.
Thanks awesome blogging friends & Penguin Teen Australia!

Bought- Physical:
  • Take Me On by Katie McGarry!
Bought- E-books:
  • Taken by Love by Melissa Foster
  • Breathe With Me by Kristen Proby
  • Rusty Nailed by Alice Clayton
  • Hold On Tight by Abbi Glines
  • Fall From India Place by Samantha Young
  • Unconditional Love by Kelly Elliot
So that is it for this months wrap up! Leave a comment below on what books you got this month!

Keely xx

Friday, June 6, 2014

What you might like if you enjoyed... #2

Hey everyone, I am back with another recommendation post and this time I am focusing on Australian YA! Now on twitter many of you might have seen #OzYaChat hosted by Shaheen @Speculatef and Mands @BookManicurist have been holding fortnightly chats about Aussie books & authors. Seeing as I have great timing of missing these chats because of uni going ons, I thought I'd share some of my favourite Australian YA authors & books!

If you liked The Fault in Our Stars by John Green you might like:

Everything Left Unsaid by Jessica Davidson. I read this before I even knew what TFiOS so I choose to read TFiOS after loving this story. Juliet and Tai are in year 12 and taking on their HSC when Tai is diagnosed with cancer and their story just goes on from there. I cried a lot during this story and I read this in 2012 when I was in the midst of doing my HSC, planning the same things that they were planning so it hit me at a time when I was going through the same things (expect my best friend didn't have cancer). It is a brilliant Aussie YA Contemporary that I do recommend for everyone!

If you liked The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak you might like:

Once trilogy by Morris Gleitzmann and Hitler's Daugher by Jackie French. Both of these I read before The Book Thief and me loving history especially WWII loved both of these middle grade/YA books. I actually read both of these for English class in year 8 and I just absolutely adored them. Both are by fantastic Aussie authors whose other books I also have enjoyed.

Now some straight up recs:



Steal my Sunshine by Emily Gale- read about how much I loved in my review here.

Wildfire by Fiona Wood- also read about how much I loved it in my review here.

Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley- a lot of people have read and loved this book, I am no different. However, this wasn't my first book by Cath Crowley I loved her Gracie Faltrain series before Graffiti Moon. All her books are just fantastic Aussie YA books.

Losing It by Julia Lawrinson- is another book that I read during my HSC and also has the main characters doing her HSC and going on schoolies (see the trend here?) If you couldn't guess by the title it is about 4 friends trying to lose their virginity before they go on schoolies and it was a light & kind of hilarious read. Lawrinson has loads of other books out that I haven't read yet by this one I just loved!

I'll Tell You Mine by Pip Harry- Once again another book I read HSC year but the main character is in year 10. There is a big secret, girl at boarding school & other mysteries at part here and in general just a great Aussie YA Contemporary story.

So that is all the Aussie rec's that I have found going through my goodreads shelves and I am sure that there is many more but this procrastination from my studying for my anatomy exam and assignment that are taking place next week should stop.

So comment down below if you have read any of these books and what other Aussie book that you have to recommend!

Keely xx

Thursday, June 5, 2014

Review Time #60

Getting By by Claudia Burgoa

When Emma Anderson arrived at San Francisco International Airport, she regretted accepting the distinction of being the maid of honour to Gaby’s—her childhood friend—wedding. It had been years since the last time she set foot in Menlo Park, where her parents had been killed. The rug where she had been shoving her feelings since that day looked bumpier than a camel’s hump. Who could blame her; if she hadn’t been selfish they’d still be around. Ever since that fateful day, Emma has been perfecting the knack of Getting By.

Cade’s wedding in Menlo Park—a city close to San Francisco—might be the perfect place for Jake Knight to shake the memories of his ex, Emma Anderson for good. Single, available women galore for an entire week was the perfect medication, one he intended to take three times a day for an entire week to return to his player days. It was a plan the former spy thought flawless until he came face to face with the maid of honour. Jake’s perfect retreat turns into a flight, fight or hide week of celebrations.


Wasn't too sure what I was going to get when I started this book, knowing nothing expect it was an NA contemporary but I ended up loving it.

Emma has dealt with a lot of crazy in her life since her parents died when she was eighteen and now facing the past with her best friend's wedding and Jake, the guy who until three months ago was dating her until Emma ended it. Emma ends up spending the week with Jake and his family thanks to her childhood best friend Gaby, finally facing some of the past that she has avoided and learning more about Jake and what he is hiding from her.

When reading this book you can see how much they care about each other but are too afraid to commit because each of them have issues that they need to deal with. The way that Jake treats Emma during the week makes it obvious to everyone and especially his family who adore Emma.

Jake is ex-special forces and  doesn't want Emma to know about what happened on his final mission, even though she knows something bad has happened because of his nightmares. Jake doesn't know how to react when he finds out that Emma has seen him at his worst with these nightmares and what he does isn't the greatest thing in the world.

A great read for those who love some romance and it is an NA book, not YA! Cannot wait for the next Knight brother story!

Rating: 4.5/5

Keely xx