My Book Haul #1 - The cover obsessed one!

After all of the drama with The Story Siren, I have decided not to take part in IMM. I have nothing against Kristi herself, just her actions, and I just don't want to get involved in any of that stuff, so I'm not going to take part at all. I think there is going to be some other memes created, so I'll take a look again next week. But for now, I'm just calling it my book haul!


I didn't do an IMM last week because I only got two books, and I was feeling too lazy to get the camera, take the pictures, upload them...*snore* So this is two weeks worth of books!

Bought
Fab Confessions of Georgia Nicolson Volume 1 - Angus Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging & 'It's OK, I'm Wearing Really Big Knickers!' by Louise Rennison
I'm like, the only girl in the UNIVERSE who hasn't read this series, and after reading and loving Louise's Tallulah Casey series, I knew I had to get this! I can't wait to read it, I'm sure it's hilarious! (this is one of last weeks's books)

For review
Kelly-Ann: My Scorching Summer Diary by Liz Rettig
I've read reviews for this series saying it's absolutely hilarious, so I'm really looking forward to reading it. The cover is so pretty too! (I got this last week) Thanks Random House1


Shooting Stars by Allison Rushby
This looks so fun, and the cover is gorgeous! Thanks to the author for sending me this.


Fire City by Bali Rai (ARC)
This looks interesting, and the ARC cover is so cool! Thanks Random House!


Burn Mark by Laura Powell
I don't know much about this one, but the cover is just amazing! (Sorry, this IMM seems to be all about covers! ;P) Thanks Bloomsbury


Jasmine Skies by Sita Brahmachari
I have and haven't yet reading Artichoke Hearts, but I couldn't turn down this request! The two cover match so beautifully together, I just keep admiring them! Thanks Macmillan!


Dying To Know You by Aidan Chambers
This author has gotten tons of awards and amazing reviews, I can't wait to read this! I've read the first few pages and it seems promising! And, OK, the cover is AWESOME!!!! Thanks Random House!

The Vampire Blog
The Vampire Fighters
The Vampire Hunters (manuscript) by Pete Johnson
This series sounds really fun! It's a half-vampire...blogger! I'm taking part in this blog tour in June, so look out for it. Thanks Random House!


That's it for me! Quite a happy week :) What did you get in you mailbox? Let me know in the comments and I'll stop by!

Review: My Big Fat Teen Crisis by Jenny Smith

When Sam's best friend is whisked off the Outer Hebrides by her parents, Sam suddenly finds herself without any friends. Sam doesn't seem to fit in anywhere any more. She's not "cool", she's not "sophisticated" and the gorgeous new boy at school certainly won't be interested unless she has an image overhaul - fast! But as Sam experiments with new clothes and new friends, she finds herself more lost than ever! Who does she really want to be - and will she realize before it's too late?


I'm going to review My Big Fat Teen Crisis a little differently than I usually review books. Instead of writing a proper review, I'm going to do a positive and negatives list, like Sam and Gemma love to do in the books, just because I think  it will be fun :) So...

Positives

1. Characters - I loved all but one of the characters in this novel. Sam was fun and quirky, I loved her! She could be sort of self-centered at times, but I didn't mind so much :) She was funny and dramatic, a fantastic main character! David was lovely, he and Sam made such a sweet couple. Taylor was hilarious! Cat, Gemma and Lucy were fantastic friends Sam, they were all unique and kind. The character I hated was Tania. Grrrr >:( She was so horrible! I liked the ending, the bully got what she deserved :)

2. Unique bits - I  know, that title is a bit vague :) I mean the parts like  Sam and Gemma's online chats, the positives and negatives lists (which inspired the one I'm doing now!) and my personal favourite, Sam's Facebook status at the end of each chapter. All of these things really added to the book, giving it a fun and original twist. I think they make it appealing and relatable to young teens!

3. The cover - The cover is so cute, I absolutely love it! The socks are awesome :P And the yellow really stands out. While I was reading the book I was just admiring the cover the whole time!

4. The storyline - 'My Big Fat Teen Crisis' had a fun, easy storyline, and it was very enjoyable to read. However, it is actually more meaningful than the bright cover suggests. It also deals with important and relevant issues like divorce, alcoholism, relationships and bullying. I think the way these topics are dealt with will help the young teen audience it is aimed at, because I'm sure many of them are dealing with issues like that. 

Negatives

Yeah, OK, I know this is like the worst Positives and Negatives list ever, because I just realised I actually have no negative thoughts about this book! That's good though, so yay! :)

In a nutshell

My Big Fat Teen Crisis is an enjoyable, humorous and entertaining read. I loved it, and I'm sure you will too! Highly recommended.

Source: For Review - thanks to the publisher for sending me this in exchange for an honest review.

Format: Paperback
Pages: 208

Age group: 11+
Official Publication Date: 1st March 2012
Publisher: Scholastic

Challenges: ABC Reading Challenge, British Books Challenge

The Hunger Games movie review

Director: Gary Ross

Writers: Gary Ross and Suzanne Collins

Stars: Jennifer Lawrence (Katniss Everdeen), Josh Hutcherson (Peeta Mellark) and Liam Hensworth (Gale) Woody Harrelson (Haymitch) and Elizabeth Banks (Effie Trinket)

Based on the novel 'The Hunger Games' by Suzanne Collins

OK, most of you know what The Hunger Games is aboutm, but for those of you who have been living under a ROCK for the past two years, here's a short synopsis:

Set in a future where the Capitol selects a boy and girl from the twelve districts to fight to the death on live television, Katniss Everdeen volunteers to take her younger sister's place for the latest match.

OK, OMG. I wasn't expected to be blown away by The Hunger Games, having disliked the book, but I sort of HAD to see it anyway, cause, y'know, it's The Hunger Games! And as I said already, OMG. It was AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Seriously, there is no other word to describe it! It was SO MUCH better than the books! It didn't make me cry, to be fair, but it was really emotional! Rue. :( It had everything I could have asked for, an amazing cast, brilliant acting, fantastic special effects, loads of action and general all-round EPICNESS!!! I am DEFINITELY going to have another crack at reading the book now!

Jennifer Lawrence made a wonderful Katniss. She was so convincing in her role. I just loved her!  When I first heard about the casting of Josh Hutcherson as Peeta and Liam Hemsworth, I didn't like it AT ALL. I thought the roles should be switched, Liam as Peeta and vice versa. But while I still think they would have been good in their opposite roles, they were both brilliant. All of the actors were! I'm sorry, I don't know what else to say, they were just all fab :)

The Hunger Games is a superb, exciting movie, one of my absolute favourites! Possibly the best I've seen all year! It's an action packed thrill fest, and I would have no problem recommending it! Please go see it - you are missing out otherwise! 

I hope you liked my first ever movie review! Have you seen The Hunger Games? Did you like it as much as I did? And speaking of movies, HOW excited am I for Now Is Good next month!!!! Click to see the awesome trailer here.

REVIEW: Switched by Amanda Hocking

Wendy Everly knew she was different the day her mother tried to kill her and accused her of having been switched at birth. Although certain she’s not the monster her mother claimed she is, she does feel that she doesn’t quite fit in. The new girl in High School, Wendy is bored and frustrated by her small-town life – and then there’s her secret, her mysterious ability – she can influence people’s decisions, without knowing how, or why . . . When the intense and darkly handsome newcomer Finn suddenly turns up at her bedroom window one night, her world is turned upside down. He holds the key to her past, the answers to her strange powers and is the doorway to a place she never imagined could exist: Förening, the home of the Trylle. Among the Trylle she is not just different, but special. But what marks her out as chosen for greatness in this world also places her in grave danger. With everything around her changing, Finn is the only person she can trust. But dark forces are conspiring – not only to separate them, but to see the downfall of everything that Wendy cares about. . .

I hadn't heard much about Switched before I received it, but from reading the reviews on the back cover and inside pages, I was dying to get started. And while it didn't quite blow me away, I still very much enjoyed it! Switched was more about world-building and character-building, rather than the story itself, and I think it is supposed to be sort of a set-up for the rest of the series. It was quite slow-paced and the plot wasn't the strongest element of the book. But even though there wasn't a huge amount of action, there wasn't a dull moment and I was never bored! There was always something going on, usually not overly exciting things, -  but stuff that was interesting enough to keep my attention.


As I mentioned above, the plot of Switched wasn't the books best part. Most of the way through, I wasn't sure what direction the story was going in, and what was supposed to be happening. Switched is completely unpredictable, because when there's not much of a story, there's nothing to predict! That was one of the book's only downside, although it was a big one! I did say before that I didn't get bored at all, and I didn't, but it still would have been nice to have a little more excitement!


On a more positive note, the characters were fantastic! They were my absolute favourite part of the book. The author developed every single one so well. It was really the characters that made the book for me. I loved Wendy, she is just the type of protagonist that I love. Witty and sarcastic, yet kind. Finn is a brilliant love interest, mysterious and caring. I really enjoyed watching their relationship blossom, and I thought they were so good together. *SPOILER. HIGHLIGHT TO READ* I was heartbroken at the end :( *SPOILER OVER* I can't wait to see where it goes in the next book, Torn, which is currently top of my wishlist!


The supporting cast were also surprisingly complex and all had different and intriguing personalities. Elora, Rhys, Willa, Tove, and more, every one contributed to the book, and if they weren't in the book, I don't think I would have liked it as much! It's hard to pick a 
favourite, they were all wonderful! (Well - Elora wasn't, but everyone else was!)


Switched had quite an original concept - trolls. There's no hot vampires or werewolves in this book, oh no! This supernatural creature is an unusual one to find in books, but it was an interesting idea! What made it different was that these trolls weren't big ugly beasts, they were quite attractive people! It was fun to read about something different, and I think people who are sick of the same old supernatural creatures would appreciate these trolls, or as they are known, 'Trylle'.


Just a little about the writing - it was good, but at times it felt a little unprofessional! I don't mean to be mean to the author, but I think parts weren't written (or edited?) as well as they should have been. However, most of the time I liked it, and it was easy and light to read. I thought Switched was going to be a much darker book, but it's actually surprisingly light! (not literally of course, like lightweight, but you know I mean!)


For me, Switched didn't quite live up to all of the hype surrounding it, but I still enjoyed it. It was a fun, interesting, different book that I would recommend. I am looking forward read more of this series!

Rating: 4/5

Source: For Review - thanks to the publisher for sending me this in exchange for an honest review.

Format: Paperback, Young Adult Edition
Pages: 356

Age group: 11+
Official Publication Date: 5th January 2012
Publisher: Tor
Challenges: ABC Reading Challenge

REVIEW:The Killables by Gemma Malley

Evil has been eradicated. The City has been established. And citizens may only enter after having the 'evil' part of their brain removed. They are labelled on the System according to how 'good' they are. If they show signs of the evil emerging, they are labelled a K . . . But no one knows quite what that means. Only that they disappear, never to be seen again ...

I wasn't sure what to expect from The Killables. The blurb didn't explain much, but I had pretty high expectations, from the reviews I had read. Unfortunately, although did enjoy it, it wasn't as good as I hoped it would be. 

The story centers around Evie and Raffy, who both live in the City. They are in love, but their relationship is 'evil' and against the law, according to The System, which controls everything. I didn't like either of the main characters, which, obviously, is not a good thing in a book! They were both quite selfish, and Evie was always thinking of herself. She had no mind of her own and just did whatever the horrible Raffy told her to. Oh my goodness, RAFFY. He was possibly the worst character I've ever come across. He was so BORING.All he wanted to do was boss people around all the time, and he always had to get his own way. He was really mean too. He had no personality other than that. He and Evie continued to irritate me all the way throughout the book. I didn't warm to either of them, even at the end! The only character I liked was Lucas. He had some personality at least, and I think he was a much better love interest for Evie. Even though she didn't deserve him!

And I found Evie and Raffys relationship ridiculous! There was no explanation or building up of their relationship, it was just: they love each other. Accept it. I didn't like it at all, I would have much preferred at least a little bit of build-up.

However, apart from the characters, most of the rest of the book was great! It was written so well, the world-building was fantastic. It was so detailed and the history the author created was so interesting, I loved reading about it. It was a very original and creative concept too, and the author really made it work. I am now eager to read more of Gemma Malley's books, to get more of her brilliant writing. As long as the characters were nicer in her other books!

I liked how there was always something happening. The action scenes were exciting and frequent, and although they didn't feel 'unputdownable' I still enjoyed them! Especially towards the end, those were my favourite. 

The ending felt a bit rushed to me. It all seemed so easy! *SPOLIER. HIGHLIGHT TO READ.* They just went into the City, infiltrated the System, taking it down, and got out again, so easily! I wish there had been more conflict. * SPOILER OVER* It was quite a satisfying ending though, I don't see why it needs to be a series! I don't think I'll be reading the next book, I'm happy enough with this ending!

I know this seems like quite a negative review, but really, I did like it! There was a fair bit of bad and not so much of good, but the good news is that the good was very good, so it makes the bad not so bad! If that makes any sense :) Would I recommend it? Welllll... It wouldn't be top of my list, but I would to fans of dystopia or Gemma Malley's other books. I will be looking out for more of this authors books!

Rating: 3/5

Source: For Review - thanks to Luisa Plaja for sending me this to review!

Format: Proof Copy (ARC)
Pages: 384

Age group: 12+
Official Publication Date: March 29th 2012
Publisher: Hodder and Stoughton
Challenges: British Books Challenge, ABC Reading Challenge

REVIEW:A Midsummer Tights Dream by Louise Rennison

It’s the hotly anticipated sequel to the winner of the Roald Dahl Funny Prize, WITHERING TIGHTS – laugh your tights off as Tallulah Casey and her bonkers mates return for a new term at Dother Hall performing arts college. Boys, snogging and bad acting guaranteed!

Yaroooo! Tallulah’s triumphant Heathcliff in ‘Wuthering Heights’ the comedy musical was enough to secure her place at Dother Hall performing arts college  for another term. She can’t wait to see her pals again, Charlie and the boys from Woolfe Academy and maybe even bad boy Cain…

Could the bright lights of Broadway be calling? And for who? Find out in the next Misadventures of Tallulah Casey.


Although I wasn't the biggest fan of 'Withering Tights, it was hilarious, and I was eager to get back into the world of Tallulah and her tights, and of course the wonderful Dother Hall! And I am happy to report that I actually liked A Midsummer Tights Dream more than Withering Tights! I love the way Rennison has manged to weave the word Tights into the names of literary classics-very clever! I can't wait to see what she come up with next.


I found A Midsummer Tights Dream a lot less confusing than it's prequel. One of the things I disliked about Withering Tights was that I found it hard to keep up with the excessive amount of characters (who's names all sounded the same! ) But because I knew the characters better this time around and it therefore didn't affect my enjoyment as much. At the beginning though, I couldn't quite remember who was who, but I figured it out quickly enough. A warning, though; you can absolutely NOT read the book without having read Withering Tights - you won't have any idea what's going on! Practically nothing that happened in the last book is recapped!


My favourite character were Tallulah  and Honey. Tallulah was so mad! It's impossible not to like her :) The same with Honey. She is so sweet and lovely (like her name!) as well as being an expert on boys! I'll try not to give much away, but I missed her... I loved all of the girls, the 'Tree Sister's and they are also called!- except maybe Jo. All she wanted to do was talk about herself! But Vaisey was really nice, and Flossie made me laugh so many times!


Tallulah has a busy love life too - forget the old love triangle -  she had a love square! There was dark, mysterious Cain -or as Tallulah would say, a rusty heathen crow! I think he was my favourite! hen there was Alex, 'Dream Boy' who wasn't in the book much. And of course 'The Hugger' the lovely Charlie - I loved him too! There was a lot of boy action in this boy and I am looking forward to seeing how it all pans out in the next book(s).


However, I was a bit lost at times. Since nothing from the last book was explained, and due to the fact that I am pretty forgetful and couldn't remember much from it either,I was pretty confused! A few questions I have, that maybe some of you readers will be able to answer? - are: Was Tallulah from Ireland? What was going on with Dother Hall? Was it a year round school? And how come there was only, like, 20 students???


If I was to describe this book in one word it would be CRAZY! There was absolutely nothing anyway sensible! Everything was so random and out of the blue. I loved it!!!! It was utterly hilarious. I hard noticed myself flicking the pages. Rennisons writing flows so well, it's easy and fun to read, Maybe this is mad, but I'm going to compare Louise Rennison with J.K. Rowling. They are both geniuses, both able to come up with such fantastic characters, settings, and ideas, and original material. With the added bonus in this book that Louise is possibly the funniest author I've ever come across :D


The book was slightly less funny than Withering Tights, but I liked it  more. I understood more of what was happening and the relationships between various characters were explored and developed more, which I enjoyed reading about. Whatever Rennison produces next,I will definitely be reading it!

                                                          Rating: 4/5

Source: For Review - thanks to Harper Collins for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review

Format: Trade Paperback
Pages: 336

Age group: 12+
Official Publication Date: 2nd February 2012
Publisher: Harper Collins Childrens Books
Challenges: British Books Challenge, ABC Reading Challenge

P.S. I mentioned in my 'News' post that I would let you know what my Pottermore username was, so it is: GobletSparks18633. Let me know what your username is and I will add you as a friend!

In My Mailbox #28

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren where bloggers show what book they received that week, via mailbox, library, bought, borrowed or any other way. It's a great way to see who's reading what so make sure you head on over and join in!  


By the way, I'm sorry for not posting any reviews this week! I was away! But I will be posting three or four more this week to make up for it :) Anyway, onto le mailbox!

For review

Wonder by R.J. Palacio
This looks and sounds amazing, and I've heard nothing but rave reviews. I wish I could read it straight away!

All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin
This sounds interesting, I've read mixed reviews, but I do love dystopia and I am looking forward to reading this.

A Most Improper Magick 
A Tangle of Magicks by Stephanie Burgis
According to reviews by Clover at Fluttering Butterflies, these books are fantastic, and I trust her opinions and reviews, so these will hopefully be great!

Thanks to Random House, Macmillan, and Templar for sending me books to review

Bought
The Fault In Our Stars by John Green
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAY!!!! I am SO HAPPY! I've already read the first chapter of this and it was amazing-ness, and I absolutely CANNOT wait to read the whole thing!


I got all of these books yesterday! Happy day for me ;) What did you get in your mailbox? Leave a link to your IMM in the comments and I will stop by!