Just Like Fate by Cat Patrick and Suzanne Young

Release Year: 2014
Publisher: Electric Monkey

Format: Paperback
Genre(s): Contemporary
Pages: 294
Price: £7.99
How Long Did It Take To Read: 3 days
Goodreads
Stars: 4
Favourite Quote: 'You Made The Right Choice'
Book Bingo: Read A Book With A Strong Sibling Relationship.
The relationships between Caroline and Teddy is so heart warming. He stands by her side no matter what she does and when they fight he always forgives her. I would love to have a sibling relationship like that.

Blurb:
Stay Or Go?
Caroline is at a crossroads. Her whole family is on her back, and her grandmother, the only person who really understands her, is sick, maybe dying. All she wants to do is escape. So when her best friend suggest a night out to forget her troubles, Caroline must choose:
STAY by her grandmother's side, or GO to the party and live her life... and maybe find the boy of her dreams.
This decision will split Caroline's fate into two separate paths - and she's about to live them both. But there's only one happy ending...

Review:
When I'm in the mood for contemporary I will read about 5 before going on to a different genre and this is a book that I've been meaning to read in a while but haven't been in the mood. I finally picked it up this month and It was a good book. I didn't realise it had two separate paths that Caroline takes. One chapter would be if she went to the party and the other would be if she stayed with her family. I really like that, It was a good way of looking at the different paths people can take in life. Both paths she takes you see Caroline fix broken relationships with different family members which happened because of the path she didn't take. So on the paths there where good things and there were bad. I loved the way this book was written, It made me fall in love with some of the characters but by the next page I was hating them, I don't think I have cried this much to a book before. One moment I was in tears the next I was laughing, It was an emotional roller-coast. Which was a great read for me.

The Book Tag

I saw this tag on EllesBelles Bookshelf (check hers out here) and I thought this would be a really good idea for my followers to get to know me and my book ways a little better.

Question 1: Do you have a certain place at home for reading?

Yes I love to sit on my bed to read. I have quite big family so it's rather hard to find somewhere quiet apart from my room. When it's hot outside (hardly ever) I will sit in the garden and read to soak up the little sun.

Question 2: Bookmark or random piece of paper?

Bookmarks all the way, I have about 20 bookmarks but I always use the same one. I got it a couple of years ago for Christmas off my sister and I love it. It's a 3D Panther

Question 3: Can you stop reading at any time or do you have to stop at a certain page, chapter, part, etc?

I have to stop at the end/start of a chapter. If I stopped anywhere else I would forget what part I had read and I would read the whole page again. 

Question 4: Do you eat or drink while reading?

Sometimes I like to have a cup of tea when I'm reading but I don't think I could eat whilst reading. It might get on the book and make a mess.

Question 5: Can you read whilst listening to music or watching TV?

I find it hard to focus on the book while something else is going on around me so I have to be in a quite area or I won't be able to take the book in properly. I'm currently listening to Disney songs while I write this.

Question 6: One book at at time. or several at once?

I normally only like to read one book at a time but last week I read two at the same time. One of them was a manga and only took a few hours to read but I didn't want to read it all at once so I started to read another book as well. 

Question 7: Reading at home or everywhere?

I will always take a book with me where ever I go, in case i get a spare few hours in the day so I could read. I will normally read at home but I sometimes read on my breaks at work or on public transport.

Question 8: Reading out loud or in your head?

In my head. I find it hard to take a book in if I'm reading out loud, I find myself going over the same sentence quite a lot to be able to take it in. 

Question 9: Do you read ahead or skip pages?

Sometimes I like to skim ahead of the page to see if my favourite character is in it or if someone is hurt badly I skim a head a few pages to see if they are still alive a few chapters ahead. I have only ever skipped pages when I was reading New Moon by Stephanie Meyer and that was only because I hated Jacob and didn't want to read the pages without Jasper in them. 

Question 10: Breaking the spine or keeping it new?

I like to keep my books looking new but sometimes I can't help but break the spine on some of my books. If I'm really into the book I forget about the spine and it gets a little broken sometimes. 

Question 11: Do you write in books?

I've only ever wrote in a book when I was doing my GCSE's in high school. I don't like writing in my books I keep. 

I tag anyone who reads this and wants to do the book tag. I had a lot of fun doing this and I'm sure you will too. 

Happy Reading.

This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales

Release Year: 2013
Publisher: Macmillan Children Books

Format: Paperback
Genre(s): Contemporary
Pages: 288
Price: £6.99
How Long Did It Take To Read: 2 days
Goodreads
Stars: 5
Book Bingo: Read A Book Written By Author With Your Initials
Favourite Quote:
You think it's so easy to change yourself. you think it's so easy but its not. True, things don't stay the same forever; couches are replaced, boys leave, you discover a song, your body becomes forever scarred. and with each of these moments you change and change again, your true self spinning, shifting positions - but always at last it returns to you, like a dancer on the floor. because throughout it all, you are still, always , you: beautiful and bruised, known and unknowable. and isn't that - just you - enough?

Blurb:

All her life Elise Dembowski has been an outsider. Starting a new school, she dreams of fitting in at last - but when her best attempts at popularity fail, she almost gives up. Then she stumbles upon a secret warehouse party. There, at night, Elise can be a different person, making real friends, falling in love for the first time and finding her true passion - DJing.

But when her real and secret lives collide, she has to make a decision once and for all: just who is the real Elise?

Review:
This book had me hooked from the beginning. I had been in a little reading slump this week, I've started about 4 different books to try and get out of it and this book was the one. I only brought it a few days ago and I'm so glad I did. It started of with a girl who has no friends and think her life isn't worth living. It is a very inspirational book, even when you're at your lowest there will always be something worth living for. Even if that something is little. This book has great music, challenging times and some cute dogs which is a reason to pick this up if you haven't. I'm in the mood for more contemporary thanks to this book and I think it might have gotten me out of my reading slump.
Overall I gave this book 5 stars because it was amazing!!

Anticipated Releases: February 2015

February is a good month for new epic book releases there are 5 that I can not wait to get my hands on. I might have to wait a little while longer to actually buy them because of the book buying ban but I will have them in my hands sooner or later.

So the first on my list is Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard. This has been in my Amazon wishlist for a few months now. There is a world which is divided by blood, the red blood serve the silver-bloodied elite who are gifted with superhuman ability. I am trying to get more into fantasy this year and this is defiantly on the list of fantasy books to read.
This book comes out on the 10th.

Next comes My Heart And Other Black Holes by Jasmine Wanga. This book is about a girl who loves to plan her own death but she doesn't want to do it on her own. She soon discovers a website with a section call Suicide Partners where she meets her perfect partner to commit suicide with. But the she starts to question whether or not she wants to go through with it.
This book comes out on the 10th

I'm a sucker for Fairy Tale type books and this one is Sleeping Beauty re-imaged. Jade was only a little girl when the earthquake stuck. Before her eyes, half of New York City disappeared, replaced by a village the seemed torn out of a storybook. Ten years later and Jade had forgotten what it is to feel, to care...even to love. Working as a member of the queen's guard, she spends most of her time on the city walls staring at the crumbling skyscrapers of old New York. But everything changed when the queen's runaway son, Prince Asher, returns.
This book come out on the 17th

This story has parallel worlds, time travel and magic in. Need I say more?
This one my most anticipated release and I'm going to be buying this the day it comes out screw my book ban.
This book is out on the 24th

This book is the second to The Rain which was amazing. If you haven't read it you really should. I'm not going to say what it is about because I don't want to spoil the first one for anyone but I'm super excited to get this when it comes out.
This book comes out on the 26th

Paper Towns by John Green

Release Year: 2010
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Format: Paperback
Genre(s): Contemporary, Mystery
Pages: 305
Price: £7.99
How Long Did It Take To Read: 2 days
Goodreads
Stars: 4







Blurb:
The thing about Margo Roth Spiegelman is that really all I could ever do was let her talk, and then when she stopped talking encourage her to go on, due to the facts that 1. I was incontestably in love with her, and 2. she was absolutely unprecedented in every way, and 3. she never really asked me any questions...
Quentin Jacobson has always loved Margo from afar. So when she climbs through his window to summon him on an all-night road trip of revenge he cannot help but follow. But the next morning, Q turns up at school and Margo doesn't. She's left clues to her disappearance, like a trail of breadcrumbs for Q to follow.
And everything leads to one unavoidable question:
Who is the real Margo?

Review:
I'm not really sure on what to say about this book. The writing was amazing just as all John Green books are but I found Margo to be a little selfish, She didn't think about the consequence of her actions. She just ups and leaves one night with no word to her family or friends on where she is going, she leaves them to worry about her and some even think she's dead. I do admire her with how she didn't let anything hold her back, she did what she wanted. The last 100 pages of so where my favourite, I loved the road trip they took and how Green described every single hour of the trip even when Q was asleep. This book made me laugh out loud a little especially with Radar and Ben they were very interesting characters and deficiently my favourite.
Overall I gave this book 4 stars.

January Book Haul

These few books are what I brought before I decided to go on a book ban. But after this month I will stick to my book ban as best as I can.

Date Brought: 2/1/2015
New or Secondhand: Second Hand
Price: £2.50
Release Year 1974
Series: N/A
I have always wanted to read a Stephen King book and when I saw someone giving it away and all I had to do was pay for shipping I was not going to turn it down. So my first every Stephen King read will be Carrie which I hope to start next month.

Blurb:

Carrie White is no ordinary girl.

Carrie White has the gift of telekinesis.

To be invited to Prom Night by Tommy Ross is a dream come true for Carrie - the first step towards social acceptance by her high school colleagues.

 But events will take a decidedly macabre turn on that horrifying and endless night as she is forced to exercise her terrible gift on the town that mocks and loathes he.

Date Brought 2/1/2015
New or Secondhand: New
Place Brought: Amazon
Price: £2
Release Year: 2013
Series: The Lunar Chronicles 2nd book
After reading Cinder I knew I just had to have the next one in my hands as soon as possible and when I looked on Amazon it was only £2 so I put it straight in my cart and brought it. I'm super excited about starting it next month.
Blurb:

Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing.

The police have closed her case.

The only person Scarlet can turn to is Wolf.

A street fighter she does not trust.

But they are drawn to each other.

 Meanwhile, in New Beijing, Cinder will become the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive-when she breaks out of the prison to stay one step ahead of vicious Queen Levana.

 As Scarlet and Wolf Expose one mystery they encounter Cinder and a new one unravels.

Together the must challenge the evil queen. Who will stop at nothing to make Prince Kai her husband, her king, her prisoner...

Date Brought: 2/1/2015
New or Secondhand: Secondhand
Place Brought: Off someone on Instagram
Price: £2.50
Release Year: 2013
Series: The School For Good And Evil
This was just a random buy, I had seen it in Waterstones every time I go in there (which is a lot) and the blurb sounds good for a middle grade story. I am looking forward to picking it up in the next few months and see how it is.

Blurb:

Every four years two children are stolen away from

Gavaldon, never to return. Most children fear being 

taken to the School for Good and Evil.

But not Sophie...

She has dreamt all her life of being a princess

and she believes the school could be her chance

Her best friend Agatha had other ideas.

 When the two girls are taken, things

don't quite go to Sophie's plan..

 Because sometimes, the princess and the

witch don't look like they do in fairytales.

Date Brought: 7/1/2015
New or Secondhand: New
Place Brought: Waterstones
Price:£6.99
Release Year: 2000
Series: The Giver Quartet
I read The Giver this month just before the DVD was going to be released and I enjoyed it a lot I picked up the next one. Which I found out doesn't carry on form Johas's story but a different one. I really enjoyed Lois Lowrys writing and so I plan to give this book ago next month to see if I like it as much as The Giver.

Blurb:

Orphaned and physically flawed

in a civilization that shuns and

discards of the weak, Kira faces a

frighteningly uncertain fucture.

 When she is summoned by the Council of

Guardians, Kira prepares to fight for her life,

 but the council has unexpected plans for her.

Now Kira faces new responsibilitys. On her

quest for truth, she discovers things that

will change her life forever.

Date Brought: 2/1/2015
New or Secondhand : New
Place Brought: Amazon
Price:£7.69
Release Year: 2013
Series: Saga volume 2
I've been meaning to buy this Graphic Novel for a while now and I just decided to get it this month so I could carry one with the story.

Blurb:

Saga is the sweeping tale of one young family fighting to find there place in the universe. Thanks to her star-crossed parents Marko and Alana, newborn baby Hazel has already survived lethal assassins, rampaging armies, and horrific monsters, but in the cold vastness of outer space, the little girl encounters her strangest adventure yet... grandparents.

Date Brought: 30/1/2015

Place Brought: Charity Shop

Price: £0.80

Release Year: 2013

Series: N/A

I had picked this book up a few times in a books store but for some reason I haven't brought it yet. The blurb sounded interesting and when I found it in a charity shop for only 80p I couldn't pass it up. I am super happy I've finally got it on my bookshelf to read.

Blurb: 

All her life Elise Dembowski

has been an outsider.

Starting a new school, she dreams of fitting

in at last - but when her best attempts at

 popularity fail, she almost gives up. Then

she stumbles upon a secret warehouse

party. There, at night, Elise can be a 

different person, making real friends, falling

in love for the first time and finding her true

passion - DJing.

But when her real and secret lives collide,

she has to make a decision once and for

all: just who is the real Elise?

Date Brought: 30/1/2015

Place Brought: Charity Shop

Price: £1.49

Release Year: 2011

Series: Sherlock Holmes

I got Moriarty for Christmas of my father who didn't realise it was the second in a series. He got it for me because of my love for Sherlock and it was really though full of him. I wanted to get the first book in hardback  to match Moriarty but I found this one in a charity shop for cheap so I picked it. If I love it I will pick it up in hardback sometime in the future

Blurb: 

It is November 1890 and London is

gripped by a merciless winter. Sherlock

Holmes and Dr Watson are enjoying tea

by the fire when an agitated gentlemen

arrives unannounced at 221B Baker Street.

He begs Holmes for help, telling the

unnerving story of a scar-faced man with

piercing eyes who has stalked him in recent weeks.

Intrigued, Holmes and Watson find

themselves swiftly drawn into a series

of puzzling and sinister events, streching

from the gas-lit streets of London to the 

teeming criminal underworld of Boston

and the mysterious 'House of Silk'...

So overall this month I have spent £23.97 on books. Which isn't that bad since I brought most of these second hand.
Now to start my book buying ban.

Shadow Of The Wolf by Tim Hall

Release Year: 2014
Publisher: David Fickling Books

Format: Hardcover
Genre(s): YA Fantasy, Retellings, HIstorical Fiction.
Pages: 471
Price: £10.99
How long did it take to read: 10 days
Goodreads
Favourite Quote: 'You are Robin Hood. You are the Sheriff's doom.'
Stars: 3

2015 Reading Challenge: Read A Book That Is A Retelling.


Blurb: 
A world of gods and monsters. An elemental power rising. This is Robin Hood, reborn, as he has never been seen before...
Robin Loxley is seven years old when his parents disappear without trace. Years later the great love of his life, Marian, is also taken from him. Driven by these mysteries, and his anguish, Robin follows a darkening path into the ancient heart of Sherwood Forest. What he encounters there will leave him transformed, and will alter for ever the legend of Robin Hood...


Review:
When I first saw this book in a book store it had heard nothing about it so I decided to read the blurb. When I read it was a retelling of Robin Hood I brought it straight away but it sat on my bookshelf for a couple of months before I decided to finally pick it up after watching one of the many Robin Hood movies out there. I am glad I did.
In the Prologue little seven year old Robin is left in the woods by his father and when he finally manages to get out he finds out they have packed up and left the little village. He then moves to live in the woods on his own with nothing but a bow and arrow his farther gave to him just before he left. He never gives up hope that he will see his family again and show them how he has survived all on his own with no ones help. It does pull on your heart strings a little.
At the start of the book Marian was a hard character to like but she stop getting annoying and she gets a little bad ass at the end of the book.
This book was kind of a long read for me, the first 100 or so pages were amazing but after that I found myself forcing myself to read more of it. It was nothing to do with the story or how it was written, I think it was more to do with my book mood. I don't think I was in the right mood for a Fantasy type book just yet. Overall this book was good and if you are a fantasy/ retelling lover then I would recommend this book to you.

Happy Reading!!