6 May 2012

Alfie the Sniffer Pup #2

Alfie the Sniffer Pup is a monthly feature at A Reading Daydreamer where I get to gush about the wonderful new book releases in the coming month that Alfie, my dog, has kindly 'sniffed' out for me! Anything related to books and exciting book-ish news will also be included!

I was planning to skip the Alfie the Sniffer Pup for May due to exams and LOTS of revision, but I couldn't resist writing one so here I am typing away at 10pm on a cold Saturday night (Note: it's scheduled for Sunday morning)

So without further ado, here are the books coming out in May in the UK:

[Book covers and synopses taken from Goodreads]

Until I Die (Revenants #2) by Amy Plum

Kate may have defeated her boyfriend's nemesis, showing off her sword skills in the process, but Vincent is sure that she will be at risk as long as they stay together. What's more, it's becoming clear that their relationship might prevent him from fulfilling his true purpose: saving the lives of others.

They might have the romance of the century, but will that be enough?

This was released on the 3rd and I must admit I wasn't aware of this series until the release of this book which seemed to create a storm across the blogosphere! The series sounds really interesting and isn't the cover just gorgeous? I am eager to get my hands on Die for Me, the first book.

Endure (Need #4) by Carrie Jones
Zara is at the center of an impending apocalypse. True, she’s successfully rescued Nick from Valhalla, but it simply isn’t enough. Evil pixies are ravaging Bedford, and they need much more than one great warrior; they need an army. Zara isn’t sure what her role is anymore. She’s not just fighting for her friends; she’s also a pixie queen. And to align her team of pixies with the humans she loves will be one of her greatest battles yet. Especially since she can’t even reconcile her growing feelings for her pixie king . . .

I've heard many great things about this series so once summer comes round, I'll have to check them out. Come on, there's pixies, what more can you ask for?

We'll Always Have Summer (Summer #3) by Jenny Han

One girl.
Two brothers.
The biggest decision of her life . . .

Just when she thought she had all the answers . . .
Isabel has only ever loved two boys, Conrad and Jeremiah Fisher.
One broke her heart; the other made her happier than she ever thought she'd be. But each brother is keeping a secret, and this summer Isabel must choose between the Fisher boys, once and for all. Which brother will it be?

OMG, I am so so so so excited to read this!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ok, I haven't read It's Not Summer Without You, the second book, yet but I am so sad that it's the end for Belly, Conrad and Jeremiah. I LOVED the first book and I can't believe the trilogy is finished forever :( It's Not Summer Without Those Books.

New Girl by Paige Harbison

They call me 'New Girl'...
Ever since I arrived at exclusive, prestigious Manderly Academy, that’s who I am. New girl. Unknown. But not unnoticed—because of her.
Becca Normandy—that’s the name on everyone’s lips. The girl whose picture I see everywhere. The girl I can’t compare to. I mean, her going missing is the only reason a spot opened up for me at the academy. And everyone stares at me like it’s my fault.
Except for Max Holloway—the boy whose name shouldn’t be spoken. At least, not by me. Everyone thinks of him as Becca’s boyfriend…but she’s gone, and here I am, replacing her. I wish it were that easy. Sometimes, when I think of Max, I can imagine how Becca’s life was so much better than mine could ever be.
And maybe she’s still out there, waiting to take it back.

I literally just found out about this book and I'm loving the sound of it. It's sort of a contemporary read with a mysterious twist, definitely one I should check out!

How to Keep a Boy as a Pet by Diane Messidoro

The Official Truth about dating the male human species!
Can taming a gorgeous boy really be as easy as walking a dog?
Circe Shaw is on a mission. She must transform into a fabulously sophisticated journalist and discover the amazing scientific truth about boys. Urgently.
But life is beyond complicated. Circe has to deal with a poisonous rival, her mum’s annoying ‘just friends’ men and her own Dark Past.
Can Circe’s daring investigation really teach her the facts of love?
Will it help her finally get a boyfriend?
Or will it break her heart…?

I just had to throw this into the post because it sounds like such a fun read! Imagine if handling boys was just as easy as keeping a pet (like Alfie!)?

And this month I have some exciting book-ish news for you to sink your teeth into:

The shortlist has been announced for this year's Queen of Teen! Here are the authors who have been kindly nominated:

Cathy Cassidy

Sarah Webb

Joanna Nadin,

James Dawson

Cathy Hopkins

Samantha Mackintosh

Chris Higgins

Hayley Long

S.C. Ransom

Maureen Johnson

Who are going to be voting for? And don't you think it's amazing that a male author has been nominated, maybe they'll have to change the title to 'King of Teen'? It just proves that teenage girls can enjoy books written by men as much as women!

And since I mentioned Jenny Han up above, I had to let you all know that she is collaborating with Siobhan Vivian, author of The List, on a new trilogy about three girls.

I can't wait to read Burn for Burn which is the first book and it comes out in September (although that's only in the US, so we'll probably have to wait longer here in the UK :( But if you're desperate to read it, you could always get it off The Book Depository)

And finally before I wrap up, I'd like to announce that I'm taking part in the Daemon Invasion. My amazing team leader is Jana at The Book Goddess and I can't wait to get started on all the fun tasks with the team! Go Team Luxing After Daemon!!!!! Wish us luck and hopefully we will rock this thing and WIN!!!!!!

Happy reading and hope you all have a wonderful May,

From Alfie and

4 May 2012

Feature and Follow Friday #7

This is a meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read. It's where you meet other book bloggers and share the follower love. A question is also asked every week.

To join the fun and make new book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:

1. (Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts {Parajunkee & Alison Can Read}
2. (Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers
3. Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts.
4. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say "hi" in your comments and that they are now following you.
5. If you are using WordPress or another CMS that doesn't have GFC (Google Friends Connect) state in your posts how you would like to be followed.
6. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don't just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don't say "HI"
7. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers!

Q: What is one thing you wish you could tell your favourite author?

A: I would like to tell Katie Dale how her novel, Someone Else's Life, has really impacted my life. It made me see how selfish we are sometimes and how we don't appreciate the people around us enough. Through her writing, she's taught me to make the most of everyday and to take a quiet moment to thank inwardly for being able to spend every day, week and year with family and friends. The book really put the Latin saying 'Carpe diem' (Seize the day) into perspective for me and I would like to thank Katie for writing such a powerful novel which made me realise how we all sometimes take things for granted. I would love to meet her and I would probably ask her incessantly for writing tips because her style of writing is just perrrfect...

So what about you? Feel free to leave your comments and if you would like to follow, do so through GFC or Linky Followers (which still needs more people to fill the box!)

Enjoy your weekend,
Beverley x

2 May 2012

100+ Followers Giveaway @ Bookster Reviews

Cliona at Bookster Reviews, one of my FAVOURITE blogs, is holding a giveaway to celebrate reaching 100+ followers!!!!! I urge you all to go along and follow her blog and enter the fab giveaway, of course!

The prizes are:

Jane Austen Stole My Boyfriend by Cora Harrison
Jasmine Skies by Sita Brahmachari
All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin

I don't know about you, but all three of the books sound really interesting and I've seen quite a lot of good reviews about them so what are you waiting for? Hurry up and enter!

Congrats must go to Cliona, you deserve all your followers and I hope you continue blogging for a very long time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

27 April 2012

Feature and Follow Friday #6

This is a meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read. It's where you meet other book bloggers and share the follower love. A question is also asked every week.

To join the fun and make new book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:

1. (Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts {Parajunkee & Alison Can Read}
2. (Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers
3. Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts.
4. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say "hi" in your comments and that they are now following you.
5. If you are using WordPress or another CMS that doesn't have GFC (Google Friends Connect) state in your posts how you would like to be followed.
6. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don't just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don't say "HI"
7. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers!

Q: Have you had a character that disappointed you? One that you fell in love with and then "broke up" with later on in either the series or a stand-alone book? Tell us about him or her.

A: Gosh, this is a hard one... I'm gonna have to pick Conrad from The Summer I Turned Pretty. He sounded quite mysterious and charming to start with but as the book developed he just became moody and played around with Belly's feelings which was tres annoying! I'm Team Jeremiah all the way!!!!!

How about you? Leave me your FFs and if you'd like to follow please do so by GFC or Linky Followers (which is in desperate need of some more to fill the box!)

Happy reading,

Beverley x

20 April 2012

Feature and Follow Friday #5

This is a meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read. It's where you meet other book bloggers and share the follower love. A question is also asked every week.

A: I would choose Edward Cullen from The Twilight Saga and Peeta Mellark from The Hunger Games! Even though Edward is probably more lethal, I am currently IN LOVE with Peeta and I think he would win - after all he survived The Hunger Games, didn't he? And that obviously takes tactics :P I used to be OBSESSED with Edward and the Twilight books but I've recently moved off them (so has everyone!) and I'm loving the hype surrounding THG. I NEED to read the books 'cos the movie was just too damn good...

How about you? Leave your thoughts below and please follow by GFC or Linky Followers... or both! :)

16 April 2012

About a Month Hiatus...

As you may or may not know, I'm currently studying and revising for my upcoming exams and I went back to school today :(

I'm announcing a short hiatus from the blog as I really need to focus on school work but I will be doing a few occasional memes and I promise to keep you updated on anything new.

And I went to see The Hunger Games movie at the weekend with my friends. I LOVED it so much and I NEED to read the books badly! Have you seen it? What did you think? I will be writing a review on it so that will be up soon - hopefully!

Bye for now,
Beverley x

9 April 2012

REVIEW: Skin Deep by Laura Jarratt

Name: Skin Deep

Author: Laura Jarratt

Publisher: Electric Monkey

Date published: 5th March 2012

Pages: 377

Source: Chicklish

Rating: 5 stars

Originally posted at Chicklish

'I wanted to say this morning, only you ran off... Sorry if I was rude.' The boy from the boat grinned, looking straight at me. 'Your surprised me, that's all. The scar' - he touched his face - 'took me by surprise. I didn't mean to be rude.' I gaped at him. Nobody ever, ever mentioned the scars.

After the car crash that leaves her best friend dead, Jenna struggles to rebuild her life. But every stare in the street, every glance in the mirror, makes her want to hide away. And then Ryan turns up - a tall, good-looking traveller unlike anyone Jenna's ever met before.

Can he help to put her world back together, or will he just break her heart?

Skin Deep is a beautiful novel about fourteen-year-old Jenna who meets a polite, good-looking traveller called Ryan. Jenna luckily survived a car crash which killed her best friend, but she herself did not get away easily and half her face was burned. Hidden behind a mask for half a year, her confidence and self-esteem is blown especially without Lindsay to look out for her. And then by chance she meets Ryan - a handsome, gentlemanly traveller. As their friendship develops, he builds her confidence and helps her come to terms with her disfigurement. But will he shatter the pieces in her life that she has so carefully glued back together during their relationship?

I am so glad that I was asked to review Skin Deep because otherwise I would probably have overlooked it and then I would have missed out big time! Laura Jarratt writes beautifully and brings a fresh, vivid voice to YA fiction. Before I started reviewing/blogging, I always had the misconception that debut releases were dull and boring but Laura Jarratt demonstrates that newcomer authors can write just as beautifully as experienced writers.

In the first half of the novel, the reader gets to know the characters through the alternating chapters between Jenna and Ryan, and nothing really happens. It charts the beginning of Jenna and Ryan’s friendship before following how it develops into something more. Looking back I wondered why I didn’t give up on reading it but then I figured that it was because it was very interesting to see how Ryan was helping Jenna break out of her shell and that was more page-turning than any fancy plot! The climax hit me in the face when I least expected it and I felt my heart sink a little, hoping that I wasn’t going to be disappointed by one of the characters. From then on I was rushing through the book, desperate to find out the ‘truth’.

The characters in Skin Deep are so believable and easy to empathise with. The sensitivity with which Laura created the fragility of Jenna strikes a poignant chord within the book. Despite the reader probably finding it near impossible to understand the sheer pain Jenna had to go through, her vulnerability and innocence allows us to see life through her eyes. She refuses to venture too far outside and prefers to remain inside the safety of her own home, away from the looks that she is given from strangers. I pitied her greatly and I just wanted to give her a reassuring hug. And then we get on to Ryan… Ryan, Ryan, Ryan. I could ramble on about him but I’ll try and spare you the gushing. He’s so unlike how the typical traveller boy is portrayed. He’s charming, polite and most of all he realises beauty is skin deep. He looks past the scars on Jenna’s face and sees her for who she really is. He convinces her that her disfigurement doesn’t define her and that she shouldn’t let staring eyes affect her confidence. He seems like an older sibling, but it’s clear from how the book continues that he doesn’t just want to fill the role of caring big brother. But is he really that amazing or is he just another guy taking advantage of a scared, vulnerable girl?

Laura Jarratt’s intriguing style of writing along with a cast of easy-to-warm-to characters makes Skin Deep a heart-wrenching debut which you will not want to miss. It is truly inspiring and thought-provoking, and made me realise that there are things in life which you shouldn’t take for granted. Please read this, you certainly won’t regret it!