Thursday 31 January 2013

Consume by Melissa Darnell

Consume (The Clann #3) by Melissa Darnell

Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: September 2013
Pages: N/A
Goodreads
Order Now: Book Depository|Amazon

What It's About!

Savannah and Tristan have survived the dangers sent their way, but as the Clann and vampire council stand on the brink of war, an ancient and powerful threat stirs and everything could be lost.




 

Monday 28 January 2013

Confessions of a Murder Suspect by James Patterson



Confessions of a Murder Suspect (Teen Detective Series #1)  by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro 

Publisher: Little Brown and Company 
Release Date:  September 24th/2012
Pages: 372 
Goodreads 
Order Now: Book Depository|Amazon 

What It's About!

James Patterson returns to the genre that made him famous with a thrilling teen detective series about the mysterious and magnificently wealthy Angel family . . . and the dark secrets they're keeping from one another.

On the night Malcolm and Maud Angel are murdered, Tandy Angel knows just three things: 1) She was the last person to see her parents alive. 2) The police have no suspects besides Tandy and her three siblings. 3) She can't trust anyone—maybe not even herself. Having grown up under Malcolm and Maud's intense perfectionist demands, no child comes away undamaged. Tandy decides that she will have to clear the family name, but digging deeper into her powerful parents' affairs is a dangerous-and revealing-game. Who knows what the Angels are truly capable of?

Review

I love a good mystery story. Especially the fast-paced ones that leave you feeling satisfied when the mystery has been solved. Confessions of a Murder Suspect was definitely a fast-paced mystery, though it didn't leave me very satisfied.

The story itself was really good. Tandoori or "Tandy", and her brothers are the main, if not only, suspects in their parents murder, and the whole book is based on figuring out who the killer is. I was really intrigued by it and couldn't wait to find out if the killer was who I thought it was (it wasn't, lol). Even though the story was good, I found it really hard to connect with any of the characters, I just felt like I just couldn't get to know them very well and really get into their world. Tandy and her family were a bit strange, and there were more questions than there were answers by the end of the book. I kept waiting to get some real inside on their lives but I never really felt like I did.

With fast, short chapters, I finished it fairly quickly. Overall I enjoyed it and will probably pick up the second book when it comes out.


Rating

 

Sunday 27 January 2013

Author Interview: Cinthia Koeksal




Cinthia Koeksal Author
Cinthia Koeksal is the author of The Scarlet Omen, her first published book, and has been writing since she was six years old.


Where to purchase her novel:  Amazon|B&N|Smashwords




Interview 


How long have you been writing for? 

Cinthia: I've been writing since I was six. I wrote a few novels in high school but they were only read by my friends. I started writing The Scarlet Omen in 2003--just after my mum passed away and after a few years was finally ready to explore the literary world in all it's glory.

How many books have you written *officially*? 

Cinthia: The official count is three, with one of them having been published and the others are waiting their turn. One of them is the sequel and another the prequel to The Scarlet Omen.

Is your new novel, The Scarlet Omen, your first book? 

Cinthia: My first published book, yes. My first novel was a ghost story that took place in a boarding school. I wrote it about 15 years ago and have no idea where the draft is :)

How long did it take you to write it? What was the inspiration for it?

Cinthia: It took me three years to write this novel. I went through a long editing process afterwards--till I thought it was ready for pitching. 
I grew up in Malaysia; a country full of myth and legend. I've always loved fantasy stories and I thought using the Asian angle to write a paranormal fantasy for young adults would be something new and interesting for readers.


 The Scarlet Omen (Book #1)



What It's About!

The Valley of the Hornbills, an ancient land surrounded by magic and legend, suffers under the tyranny of Lady Suriya, the vampire queen. Babies are being taken at dark moon, magical properties are stolen before they can replenish and the inhabitants live in constant fear of losing their loved ones to the blood drinkers. But the fairies, humans, animals, tree spirits, dragons, water people and mountain people do not lose hope. They believe in the prophecy:
            “One day, our beloved valley will be soaked with blood of the innocent. Evil that has come from the outside world will reign and nothing can stand in its way. But when it seems that all hope is lost, a dark skinned girl with almond shaped eyes, on a quest to escape the demons of her past, will come from the outside to rid our valley of the evil queen. In the end, only one will remain standing. We pray that it is the Nirupita*.”
            However, the Appointed, Anjeli, a sixteen year-old girl haunted by omens of blood orgies, angels and demons, does not yet know that she is to save a whole civilization. She is living the life of a somewhat normal teenager, learning about young love and feuding with her over-protective mother, Alice. But one dreadful day, Alice passes away suddenly of a heart attack and Anjeli is thrown into a pit of despair at having taken her mother for granted. She scores her subconscious for memories that will redeem and remind her that it had not only been war and tears between them. With her boyfriend, Mark, Anjeli revisits a town in Borneo where Alice and she were once happy together. She is completely submersed in her memories and does not realise that she is being led to fulfill her destiny. Prophecies have a way of taking what is rightfully theirs.      

 

Monday 21 January 2013

Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood



Born Wicked (The Cahill Witch Chronicles #1) by Jessica Spotswood

Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Release Date: February 7th 2012
Pages: 330
Goodreads
Order Now: Book Depository|Amazon

What It's About!

Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they’re witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship—or an early grave.

Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with only six months left to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word... especially after she finds her mother’s diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family’s destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra.

If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren’t safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood—not even from each other.

Review

I can already feel a book hangover coming on, this book was SO amazing. I've read a few novels about witches, but none quite like this one. I just loved it from beginning to end! The story is so original and different from a lot of things I've read, and was set in the 1700s, I think (can't quite remember). It was almost historical meets modern, in the sense that it had a historical-type setting, but the mind set of Cate and her sisters were very modern day teenager.

I honestly didn't expect to like it as much as I did. The author did an amazing job of mixing all these different elements together to make one big amazing novel. Cate is the main character, who looks after her 2 younger sisters, Maura and Tess, and all 3 are witches who could very well be the 3 sisters the prophecy talks about. One of the problems is that this "Brotherhood" has been in power the last few decades and they are very much against witches and anything to do with them, so Cate and her sisters must be extremely careful so they don't get caught and become one of the disappearing girls that no one ever hears from again.

Slowly, secrets about their nice little hometown begin to unravel, some of the secrets more shocking than others, but all of them strung together just enough to keep the story going and keep you intrigued. I know I was. Then of course there's the romance, and boy did Finn make me swoon! First I was all about Team Paul, Cate's childhood BFF, but my my my, Finn proved to be THE boy Cate HAD to marry! Unfortunately things got in the way before they could even announce their betrothal. I think I was more torn apart by this than Cate was! I'm still crying a little inside right now..

Lately I have found that I will love a book, but I won't be fully in love-need-the-next-book-now-before-I-tear-someone's-eyes-out, but this book was one of those. I NEED THE NEXT BOOK NOW! I can't leave Finn behind while Cate...leaves..(trying very hard not to give anything important away!!). Born Wicked tops any other witch book I've ever read, and that's saying something since I loved Cate Tiernan's sweep series growing up! I highly recommend everyone to read this book, it's amazing.


Rating 

Saturday 19 January 2013

Insurgent by Veronica Roth


Insurgent (Divergent #2) by Veronica Roth

Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: May 1st/2012
Pages: 525
Goodreads
Order Now: Book Depository|Amazon

What It's About!

One choice can transform you--or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves--and herself--while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable--and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

"New York Times" bestselling author Veronica Roth's much-anticipated second book of the dystopian "Divergent" series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature.

Review

Insurgent was...beyond my expectations. Divergent had been a good starter book for the beginning of a trilogy, and I had thought it was really good, but it really can't stand up to Insurgent. Insurgent was full of non stop action, heartache, tears, fears and losing characters. Right away it was like walking into the middle of the book instead of the beginning (because the start of books are generally pretty slow) so I had thought it would slow down and I was scared to be disappointed, but I wasn't.

I love Tobias, or four, but frig he got on my nerves sometimes! He was so back and forth with Tris whenever they were actually in the same room, one second I'd be all over him then the next he'd just totally kill it for me. I do have to say it was pretty freakin' hot when Tris put herself in that predicament and he came to bust her out. Yum yum yum :)

I'm not even really sure what to say about Tris at this point, I like that she can suck it up and just do whatever it is she needs to do, but at the same time it seems like all she ever did was cry about things she can't change. Ya, she lost some people but you ARE in the middle of a war, so it's kind of to be expected. Cry about it but not in every freakin' chapter. That's all I'm gonna say.

There was definitely one character that I thought for sure would never change and/or make it till the end. I'm still not sure whether he's actually on Tris' side, or if he was just pretending to be for the sake of some greater good to his own life or something. I started to like him a little bit but we'll see in book 3 if he's actually a good guy or not. I loved how this book was bursting at the seems with so many twists and turns, just like this one. It really made for a great book and kept my attention the whole time I was reading it.

Then there's the ending, which I probably couldn't have ever predicted! It was a very good conclusion to the end of the second book, although, we were left with a huge cliffhanger and now have to wait forever for the last book. It ended the second book, while at the same time setting up the story for the third, which I really liked. Makes me wish I had put off reading the book until the last one is out. 

Rating

Wednesday 16 January 2013

The Retribution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin



The Retribution of Mara Dyer (#3) by Michelle Hodkin

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Release Date: October 22nd/2013 
Pages: N/A
Goodreads
Order Now: Book Depository|Amazon

What It's About!

Coming soon







Sunday 13 January 2013

Big Announcement!!

(Original message I got from Ellen, Thanks Ellen!! :D )

Oh boy, do I have some good news for all of you today. I (Addicted to Novels) have been talking with S.M. McEachern over the past few weeks. S.M. McEachern is going to be releasing a new book cover for her novel ‘Sunset Rising’ in February. S.M. McEachern has asked us as a group to give her a hand and is going to be doing a group freebie. 

How is this freebie going to work, you ask? Well for the month of February ‘I’ have decided to place Sunset Rising as one of the books of the month for the group to read. S.M. McEachern has been very kind and has offered –only to Addicted to Novels members- to give anyone interested a free e-book copy of Sunset Rising through Smash Words. Smash words is free and very easy to sign up for. Smash words has many formats, so most if not all people will be able to read Sunset Rising. 


How to get the freebie – Message myself (Ellen Wookey) or S.M. McEachern on February 1st 2013 for the code to use on Smashwords.
Please visit and follow S.M. McEachern @ her blog: smmceachern.wordpress.com. S.M. McEachern will have a Sunset Rising Satellite Story up on her blog by February 1st and will put updates on where she is with writing Book 2. She is currently on page 40 for Book 2. (I cannot wait for book 2).


I do hope you all participate is this fantastic opportunity. S.M. McEachern is looking for lots of feedback from Sunset Rising as she works on the second in the series. Please join and help us out with new book cover reveal.
Check out spotlight Mondays for more about S.M. McEachern and visit her blog for updates. 



Sunset Rising (Description):
 
February 2024: The world is about to be devastated by a global nuclear war and a Hitler-like madman has seized control of the only shelter from the bombs. So when a group of civilians come to the Bio-Dome seeking refuge from the nuclear storm, they are forced to make a deal with the devil; submit to slavery or get out. Subjected to the inhumane living conditions of the Pit, the ragtag group of refugees are forced to agree to strict population control laws, including the Cull: execution at the age of thirty-five.

283 years later… Sunny O’Donnell, a slave born in the bowels of the Pit, has reached a breaking point in her life. In the wake of her mother’s execution, Sunny is torn between caring for her grieving father and protecting her own future by marrying Reyes Crowe. At seventeen years old, Sunny is already middle aged and past the time when most girls secure a husband, but she knows her father will lose his life if she leaves him now. 

Through a twist of fate, Sunny meets Leisel Holt, the daughter of the Dome’s insane President, and sees a spark of hope for the future of the Pit. In an effort to fan that spark into a flame, Sunny agrees to pose as the bride at Leisel’s wedding to Jack Kenner in order to save the bride from a possible assassination attempt. But instead of saving Leisel, Sunny unknowingly plays into her political game and ends up marrying Jack Kenner herself. Now on the run for crimes of treason, Sunny and her new husband discover that together they possess the power to raise an army.

Sunset Rising is the first book in a series. It is the tale of how the human spirit can be revived to rise up and fight the bonds of oppression


Read Ellen's  Review of Sunset Rising:

 
Living in a world full of darkness, where you know your death date and fear going towards the light. This is the life Sunny lives in. History has been changed to fit to the ruling family of the dome and being called into the light often means trouble and heartache. Why would Sunny think any different? She knows the routine but when given the … (http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...)


Must be a follower of this blog and/or a goodreads group member of Addicted To Novels in order to participate.
 

Friday 11 January 2013

Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris



Unraveling (Unraveling #1) by Elizabeth Norris

Publisher: Balzer + Bray 
Release Date: April 24th/2012
Pages: 445
Goodreads
Order Now: Book Depository|Amazon

What It's About!

Two days before the start of her junior year, seventeen-year-old Janelle Tenner is hit by a pickup truck and killed--as in blinding light, scenes of her life flashing before her, and then nothing. Except the next thing she knows, she's opening her eyes to find Ben Michaels, a loner from her high school whom Janelle has never talked to, leaning over her. And even though it isn't possible, she knows--with every fiber of her being--that Ben has somehow brought her back to life.

But her revival, and Ben's possible role in it, is only the first of the puzzles that Janelle must solve. While snooping in her FBI agent father's files for clues about her accident, she uncovers a clock that seems to be counting down to something--but to what? And when someone close to Janelle is killed, she can no longer deny what's right in front of her: Everything that's happened--the accident, the murder, the countdown clock, Ben's sudden appearance in her life--points to the end of life as she knows it. And as the clock ticks down, she realizes that if she wants to put a stop to the end of the world, she's going to need to uncover Ben's secrets--and keep from falling in love with him in the process.

From debut author Elizabeth Norris comes this shattering novel of one girl's fight to save herself, her world, and the boy she never saw coming.

Review

Unraveling was a great novel as the first in a series (or trilogy). Within the first few pages, we are introduced to Janelle, who ends up getting hit by a truck and Ben, a boy she doesn't know but recognizes from school, brings her back to life. This is just the beginning of several mysteries that all start linking to one big huge mystery, that becomes not so much a mystery by the end of the book.

Elizabeth Norris is definitely NOT afraid to kill off her characters. Maybe even main ones. Main ones THAT YOU LOVE FROM THE BEGINNING AND THEY DIE AT THE END. And there's no bringing them back once they're gone. How come Janelle can be brought back but no one else? Don't know. I'm assuming this will be another mystery touched on in the second book, which I am now dying to get my hands on!

A good first quarter of the book was pretty slow, seemed like a lot of filler, until you get a little further into it, and then things really start picking up and the book gets really eventful. One of the things I found a little different, was the way the author would have something going on, but then the chapter would end in the middle of whatever was happening and then the next chapter would be of some flashback or memory of Janelle's..like the kind of information that let's you get to know a character or characters better, but that sort of thing is usually all at the beginning, not scattered throughout the whole book.

Most of the chapters ended with some sort of cliffhanger and I was constantly sitting on the edge of my seat, it was so packed with really interesting events and problems the characters had to go through. It was SO good. When I got to the very end, I wanted to just throw the book out the window and crawl into a ball and die. The author strung my heart along and then ripped it out (you'll have to read it to understand why). If you even just LIKE sci-fi books, you'll definitely have to at least give this book a try. It reminded me of Fringe, the tv show, so if you like Fringe you might have to read this book too ;)

Rating: 

Sunday 6 January 2013

Rise by Andrea Cremer




Rise (Nightshade Prequel #2) by Andrea Cremer

Publisher: Philomel
Release Date: January 8th/2013
Pages: 432
Goodreads
Order Now: Book Depository|Amazon


What It's About!

The sequel to Rift and the prequel to the New York Times bestselling novel Nightshade.

Everything Conatus stands for is at risk. Hoping to gather enough resistance to save their order, Ember and Barrow attempt a desperate escape. But fate offers little mercy. When their mission is exposed, the  couple face relentless pursuit by the supernatural horrors that act on the commands of Eira’s ally: the mysterious Bosque Mar. A shocking revelation forces Ember out of hiding, sending her back into the heart of dark magic at Tearmunn keep, where she must convince her old friend Alistair of her love or face dire consequences. Ember’s deception offers the only chance for the resistance to succeed, but what she discovers in the shadows beneath the keep will shatter her world and bring about the Witches’ War.

Richly sensual and full of magic, action and danger, Andrea Cremer's fifth book set in the Nightshade world is an edge-of-your-seat page turner.

 

Saturday 5 January 2013

Cover Candie of the Month

               ♥Cover Candie of the Month♥



The Light of the World by Tara Brown

Tara Brown Publishing 
Release Date: November 1st/2012
Pages: 300
Goodreads
Order Now: Book Depository|Amazon

What It's About!

In dreams whispers taunt her, chant wicked things to frighten her.

Every morning she wakes, with the same sentence ringing in her ears.

'You're dead. You're dead and I just forgot to tell you.'

The problem isn't entirely the sentence.

It's the person she sees in her dreams chanting it.

It's her mother.

 
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