Thursday 31 March 2011

Reasons Why I haven't blogged so much

Hey peeps whats cracker lacking? well as you know if you follow my blog regularly I haven't blogged much or reviewed any books. Its not because I am lazy or cant be bothered because I truly love reading and it upsets me I havent got the time time. So why am I writting this you ask? well I feel like I should let you know whats happening in my life right now.

So in april Dark Readers have an awesome project coming up. It involves the book Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woon which is being published by Usborne Publishers and is coming out in May. Its kinda a surprise but this picture will probably show what we are doing....





Next thing is you probably dont know this about me but since I was younger ive always wanted to work backstage at a theatre in the wardrobe and make-up department. So I asked my nearest job center if they could get me some work experience and well a couple of weeks ago I had a group interview with the production team from the London Colesium. 8 weeks work experience and then getting a referance after it. Now just yesturday I got a call back for an assessment day. AHHH :)



 

So basically I have to go to the theatre at 10am next week and they're going to show me around and test me on things I can and cannot do. This would be a dream come true! to actually work in a professional theatre in the west end. So cross your fingers for me guys! :)


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Reasons Why I haven't blogged so much
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Sunday 20 March 2011

Book Review: Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woon



Name: Dead Beautiful
Author: Yvonne Woon
UK Release date: May 1st
Publishers: Usborne

Summary: On the morning of her sixteenth birthday, Renée Winters was still an ordinary girl. She spent her summers at the beach, had the perfect best friend, and had just started dating the cutest guy at school. No one she'd ever known had died. But all that changes when she finds her parents dead in the Redwood Forest, in what appears to be a strange double murder.

After the funeral Renée’s wealthy grandfather sends her to Gottfried Academy, a remote and mysterious boarding school in Maine, where she finds herself studying subjects like Philosophy, Latin, and the “Crude Sciences.”

It’s there that she meets Dante Berlin, a handsome and elusive boy to whom she feels inexplicably drawn. As they grow closer, unexplainable things begin to happen, but Renée can’t stop herself from falling in love. It’s only when she discovers a dark tragedy in Gottfried’s past that she begins to wonder if the Academy is everything it seems.Little does she know, Dante is the one hiding a dangerous secret, one that has him fearing for her life.

God. Where do I start describing how AMAZING this novel is. I truly am speechless. Dead Beautiful is a compelling, heatbreaking, and heart frenching novel that I couldnt put down. This book has got to be the most romantic book I have read in a long time. Each chapter, each page and each line had me crying, sighing and smiling. Ive never had a book touch me in such a way that had me thinking about it days after. The detail that Yvonne has put into this novel is spectacular. You can tell she has worked so hard at writing this novel from the amount of detail to the amount of pages.

The plot is something I truly haven't come across and I can see why the awesome people at Usborne publishers published it. You cant compare this plot to anything right now which is amazing. There is so many twists and turns so much mystery that it had my brain running over time thinking what the hell is going on in this Boarding school. It had me at the edge of my seat through out. I love how much the history of death was used in this novel. I learned things that I hadn't even heard about for example why people actually burry the dead in coffins....why they weren't a different shape or why in the ground. All these things had me looking back and actually thinking why do we do these things and its true.... people do forget why.. they just do it. The way Yvonne writes myths and made up things for the plot in this novel were so believerable I had to go and google them just to make sure they were not true.

There is a lot of surprises in this novel. And its really hard not to give spoilers because Its one of those novels you just want to tell someone about straight away and tell them everything. The amount of times it left my jaw hanging open and tears streaming down my face was unberlevable.

The characters in this novel stand out so much not at all two dimentional. Renee is such an amazing character. From her courage and loving personality to Dante the mysterious beautiful lead guy who has a huge secret that I couldnt even comprehed when first reading the book. Elenor the lovely and trusting good friend of Renee coming from the book you could definanlty relate her to one of your best friends. The way Gottfried Acadamey is described in the book is very you could say mysterious. It was once a childrens hospital. It kinda creeped me out sometimes. Dante and Renees realtionship is beautiful so beautiful I loved watching them fall in love. From the staring, to the talking to the holding to the declaring their undieing love for eachother. The quality of writing is fantastic the orginality, the pace, and the fluidity.

The one thing that had me was the ending. And not because it was over because I just wanted it to carry on, no it was how jaw dropping and heart renching and one of those things you didnt see coming. The beautiful way it ended had me in sheds of tears and just knowing that whats going to happen between Renee and Dante. It was truly one of those lose lose/win win situations. Beautiful just beautiful *sighs* bring on Life Eternal (Dead Beautiful, #2)
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Book Review: Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woon
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Saturday 19 March 2011

In my Mailbox #25




In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi from The Story Siren and inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie






ARC for review
Name: Dead Beautiful
Author: Yvonne Woon
UK Release date: May 1st
Publishers: Usborne
Summary: On the morning of her sixteenth birthday, Renée Winters was still an ordinary girl. She spent her summers at the beach, had the perfect best friend, and had just started dating the cutest guy at school. No one she'd ever known had died. But all that changes when she finds her parents dead in the Redwood Forest, in what appears to be a strange double murder.

After the funeral Renée’s wealthy grandfather sends her to Gottfried Academy, a remote and mysterious boarding school in Maine, where she finds herself studying subjects like Philosophy, Latin, and the “Crude Sciences.”

It’s there that she meets Dante Berlin, a handsome and elusive boy to whom she feels inexplicably drawn. As they grow closer, unexplainable things begin to happen, but Renée can’t stop herself from falling in love. It’s only when she discovers a dark tragedy in Gottfried’s past that she begins to wonder if the Academy is everything it seems.Little does she know, Dante is the one hiding a dangerous secret, one that has him fearing for her life.

For Review
Name: Entice (Book 3 of Need series)
Author: Carrie Jones
Publishers: Bloomsbury
Summary: Zara and Nick are soul mates, meant to be together forever. But that's not quite how things have worked out. For starters, well, Nick is dead.
Supposedly, he's been taken to a mythic place for warriors known as Valhalla, so Zara and her friends might be able to get him back. But it's taking time, and meanwhile a group of evil pixies is devastating Bedford, with more teens going missing every day. An all-out war seems imminent, and the good guys need all the warriors they can find. But how to get to Valhalla?

And even if Zara and her friends discover the way, there's that other small problem: Zara's been pixie kissed. When she finds Nick, will he even want to go with her? Especially since she hasn't just turned...she's Astley's queen
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In my Mailbox #25
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Monday 14 March 2011

A.M. Robinson's "Vampire Crush" Blog Tour Stop #7


Welcome to the 5th stop on A.M. Robinson's "Vampire Crush" Blog Tour. A.M. Robinson will be giving away three PRIZES to three different people who follow the tour. To enter, all you have to do is visit every Blog (Mine being the fifth) copy the secret code and follow A.M. Robinson on Facebook and Twitter. At the end of the tour, your final stop will be Good Choice Reading where they will have a form for you to fill out and submit everything you have collected. It is not a requirement to follow my blog, but we would really appreciate it if you did. Each blog participating in the tour will have a secret saying at the bottom of their post. Visit each blog for the next ten days to collect all the sayings and then make sure to check back at Good Choice Reading on March 18th for the final stop in the tour and to fill out the FORM to enter to win one of the follow prizes:

GRAND PRIZE:

+++Signed HARDCOVER copy of Vampire Crush
+++A pair of whale-dotted pajama pants, a la Sophie.
+++Bat-shaped cookie cutter
+++Cute vampire monster mirror
+++"Vampire Blood" hand gel.

TWO ALTERNATE PRIZES
+++Signed paperback copy of Vampire Crush
+++"Vampire Blood" hand gel
That is a total of THREE WINNERS!!! This giveaway will be open INTERNATIONAL! All you have to do is collect all the secret sayings and follow A.M. Robinson onTwitterorFacebook

Here are the blogs participating in the tour:

March 8th: With a Book! Guest Post/Giveaway
March 9th: Once Upon A Twilight Guest Post/Giveaway
March 10th: A Simple love of Reading Guest Post/Giveaway
March 11th: 365 Days of Reading Guest Post/Giveaway
March 12th: Skyla11377 Reviews Guest Post/Giveaway
March 13th: Without a Bookshelf Guest Post/Giveaway
March 14th: Dark Readers Guest Post/Giveaway
March 15th: IB Book Blogging Guest Post/Giveaway
March 16th: Another Book Junkie! Guest Post/Giveaway
March 17th: Read for your Future Guest Post/Giveaway
March 18th: Good Choice Reading Guest Post/Giveaway

A.M Robinson has dropped by and has given us her Top 4 funny movies. Don't forget at the bottom of this post you will find my secret code word for this days blog stop!

Top Four Funny Movies

In honor of funny things--of which I hope Vampire Crush is one--I wanted to write a little about the four movies that always make me laugh, no matter how many times I’ve seen them or what mood I happen to be in.

                                                             Bringing Up Baby (1938)








Cary Grant as a befuddled paleontologist, Katherine Hepburn as a slightly off-kilter heiress, and an escaped jaguar combine to make one of the most delightfully zany movies I have ever seen. Apart from a few Gee-Willickers language quirks, the comedy feels surprisingly modern; Howard Hawks’s films could be the predecessor to Gilmore Girls, specifically the rapid-fire dialogue and jokes that are so quick and occasionally complex that they often lead to “Hahaha . . .wait,” and then a re-watch. But my favorite thing? Is that Katharine Hepburn manages to play Susan in a way that is both incredibly charming and certifiably bonkers. This is a romantic comedy that boldly says, “Hey, crazy person! There’s someone out there for you, too
Favorite Quotes:
David: Susan, you can’t climb in a man’s bedroom window!
Susan: I know! It’s on the second floor!
And....
[Susan is stealing David's car from the golf course]
Susan: Now, don't lose your temper.
David: My dear young lady, I'm not losing my temper. I'm merely trying to play some golf!
Susan: You choose the funniest places; this is a parking lot.



Can’t Hardly Wait (1998)




 


Last year I made a friend watch Can’t Hardly Wait. I was hoping she would see why I kept saying that it’s the best yet most unappreciated of high school comedies; she was hoping that I would stop talking about it. Afterwards, she made the very astute observation that, in many ways, Vampire Crush is kindasortof Can’t Hardly Wait with vampires. You’ve got the childhood friends who are forced to remember their own history when circumstances smoosh them back together; you’ve got evil popular dude who gets his kicks from being publicly mean to his girlfriend; and you’ve got a goofy cast of supporting characters, including some delightful nerds. This was not my intention, but I am totally okay with this. If it’s still not entirely your thing, it’s worth watching just for the surprising cameos, like Jason Segel as stoner dude with a crush on Velma from Scooby-Doo.

 Favourite quotes;
 [holding up a card] William: I downloaded this little baby off the Net. I will know exactly how many spirits I may imbibe without affecting my judgment or my behavior.
X-Phile 1: You have every angle covered.
X-Phile 2: You know William, from this light, you somewhat resemble David Duchovny.




The Emperor’s New Groove (2000)



Here’s a confession I’ve never made to anyone who is not standing directly in front my shelf of DVDs: I own a copy of Kronk’s New Groove, the direct-to-video sequel to The Emperor’s New Groove! Whew--it’s a relief to have that off my chest. Kronk is my favorite character from Emperor’s New Groove, the incredibly wacky Disney movie that makes fun of itself as much as it does anything else.
Favorite Quote:

Kronk’s Shoulder Devil: Listen up, big guy. I got three good reasons why you should just walk away. Number one. Look at that guy! He's got that sissy stringy music thing.
Kronk’s Shoulder Angel: We've been through this. It's a harp, and you know it.
Kronk’s Shoulder Devil: Oh, right. That's a harp, and that's a dress.
Kronk’s Shoulder Angel: Robe!
Kronk’s Shoulder Devil: Reason number two. Look what I can do. Ha-ha, ha!
[does one-armed handstand]
Kronk: But what does that have to do with any-
Kronk’s Shoulder Angel: No, no. He's got a point.




Shaun of the Dead (2004)

If I have to choose a favorite movie, I inevitably choose Shaun of the Dead. It’s incredibly funny (if a little salty) and manages to work as both a straightforward zombie movie AND a movie that pokes fun at zombie movies. There are so many buried jokes that I find a new one every time I watch, and I am endlessly amazed by how easily it jumps between genre satire and serious moments. While Can’t Hardly Wait with vampires may be what I actually ended up writing, a Shaun of the Dead for teen vampire romance is what I set out to write.

Favorite Quotes:

Shaun: As Bertrand Russell once said, "The only thing that will redeem mankind is cooperation." I think we can all appreciate the relevance of that now.
Liz: Was that on a beer mat?
Shaun: Yeah, it was Guinness Extra Cold.
Liz: I won't say anything.
Shaun: Thanks.


Here is the secret code: "Still Feel"

Make sure you head over to
Baileys Book Reviews  for the next stop of the blog tour AND to get the next part of the secret saying.
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A.M. Robinson's "Vampire Crush" Blog Tour Stop #7
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Friday 11 March 2011

Book Review: Need by Carrie Jones



Name: Need
Author: Carrie Jones
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Summary: Zara White suspects there's a freaky guy semi-stalking her. She's also obsessed with phobias. And it's true, she hasn't exactly been herself since her stepfather died. But exiling her to shivery Maine to live with her grandmother? That seems a bit extreme. The move is supposed to help her stay sane...but Zara's pretty sure her mom just can't deal with her right now.


She couldn't be more wrong. Turns out the semi-stalker is not a figment of Zara's overactive imagination. In fact, he's still following her, leaving behind an eerie trail of gold dust. There's something not right - not human - in this sleepy Maine town, and all signs point to Zara. In this creepy, compelling breakout novel, Carrie Jones delivers romance, suspense, and a creature you never thought you'd have to fear.


Carrie Jones where have you been all my life? Carrie Jones Need is an awesome refreshing book to the world of pixies and shifters. At first I didnt really read books with faries and pixies but as soon as I read the Iron fey series I wanted to find another book with these sort of themes. So I picked up Need and from the first page till the end I was completely enticed with every aspect of the novel.



The writing in this book definanlty captured me. It wasn't boring in parts it wasn't repeating or annoying. Carrie definanlty kept me on the edge of my seat. From having this feeling that Zaras new friends are not who they claim to be. The plot is awesome. Quite scary for me at times, What with this werido dude following Zara around. And this on going feeling something bads about to happen.


This book was really sad at times. I did shed a tear or two when Zara would describe how much she missed her dead dad and it was so sweet she had a piece of string on her finger to remember him. I love the relationship between Zara and her Grandmother. Their relationship is more bestfriends than anything else. The way Carrie wrote Zaras grandmother it made me want to have an awesome one like her.


Zaras friends Issie, Devyn and Nick. Oh Nick the sexy guy who claims to have not kissed a girl because he hasnt met the right one. Pull my heart strings or what? No wonder Zara has fallen for him. Nick is an awesome character I love how he plays the hero in this book and how really nice he is. Issie and Devyn are such nice characters it was really great to read their scenes.


One of my favourite scenes is when Zara finds a hurt dog on her door step and gets him inside to get the arrow out is leg. It was a very touching scene and there was a BIG surprise in there too which was not expected. I LOVE books like that. There is so much I want to say but I would be giving out loads of spoilers so all I am going to say is read this book!!! :)



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Book Review: Need by Carrie Jones
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Thursday 10 March 2011

Firelight by Sophie Jordon Blog Tour: Romance is not dead

 
Name: Firelight
Author: Sophie Jordon
Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: OUP Oxford
Website: http://www.sophiejordan.net/
 
Hey guys so Dark readers were asked to be part the UK blog for Firelight by Sophie Jordon and we jumped at the chance. I had been hearing a lot of good things about this novel and couldnt wait to get my hands on a copy. When I finally did I couldnt put it down. Check out my review here we asked the awesome Sophie a few questions about the romance of the novel and here are her answers!

1. Within the genre of YA what attracted you to paranormal romance?

When I decided to write a YA, I knew it would have a paranormal element within it because paranormal elements (be it werewolves, vampires or in Firelight’s case – the draki!) always raise the stakes and heighten every situation. There is just something exciting about taking the familiar of our contemporary world and throwing it on its ear by introducing something supernatural into the fray.
As for romance – it’s what I know and love. I’ve been reading romance for years, and I’ve been writing it long before I came up with the idea for Firelight.  I don’t think I can enjoy a book without a least a thread of romance in it. Romance is all about relationships – people. It is life at its most fundamental.
A good story is all about conveying the emotions of its characters. And this is done no better than when romance/love/desire is involved.

2. Where did you get the inspiration for Dragons falling in love with their Hunters?

Well, the romance can’t be easy for either my hero or heroine – that’s always been rule number one for me. The h/h relationship has to be hard and “starcrossed” or there’s not enough conflict. And without enough conflict, readers get bored.
Jacinda was fully formed in my mind first. I knew she was a fire-breathing draki. It just came down to a question of what kind of guy would be most “wrong” for her. And that’s how I came up with hunter-boy Will.

3. What is your favourite scene in the book between Jacinda and Will?

Oh, tough one! Well, the very first scene where they meet, she in draki form and he as a hunter, is probably my favorite. That was the first time I put them down on paper and “met” them outside the workings of my imagination. Also, the last scene of the book between Will and Jacinda pulls at my heart. I think I might have been weeping by the time I finished it.

4. What is difficult for you when writing romantic scenes? 

It’s very natural and probably one of my favorite parts of writing. Intense scenes flow easily for me because I can see it happening all so clearly in my head – and romantic scenes are, of course, some of the most intense!

5. Will there be lots more romance in the sequel Vanish?
Oh, most definitely! And I’ll leave you wondering who that romance may involve. Jacinda, of course ... but who might she be involved with? Hmm.

:OO WHAT?!?! that last answer was an exclusive to me! what? Jacinda is going to fall in love with someone else? Noooo. Thanks Sophie and Oxford publishers for this awesome post

Next Blog Tour stop is over at I Was a Teenage Book Geek on the 11th of March go check it out! 
its an Interview on Draki lore with Sophie Jordan.
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Firelight by Sophie Jordon Blog Tour: Romance is not dead
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Friday 4 March 2011

Killian McRae 12.21.12 Blog tour Guest post




Heres A blog post that Killian kindly wrote for us for her blog tour

Author: Killian McRae
Paperback: 238 pages
Publisher: Omnific Publishing; 1ST edition (2010)

Victoria Kent was the first character that I conceived, and she formed in my mind long before the story did. I visited the ruins of the ancient city of Ephesus during a trip to the Aegean coast of Turkey in 1997. As I stood in front of the existent facade of the library, I began to marvel at the prospect of having been able to stand in the same place since the height of the town and watch history pass me by. Often when traveling in this region, one becomes overwhelmed at the multiple layers of history that can exist in just one square foot of space. It makes you feel transient, small.

At university at the time, I was studying the Hellenistic world. Egypt has always fascinated me, both its history and his rich, diverse, and evolving religious beliefs. I began to wonder what Victoria would have been like in the times of the Egyptians. Leading up to the Y2K hype in 1999, I remember hearing on several documentaries about other supposed doomsdays through history, and one of them I learned of was the Mayan Prophecy of 2012. In April 2000, I wrote out the first outline of what later became 12.21.12. In that process, the first conception of University-professor Sheppard Smyth and antagonist Dmitri Kronastia came to me. The story burned inside me, and I wrote out several scenes and character sheets in mid-2000. However, I had a young daughter, had just graduated college, was holding my first real job, and had just moved across the country. Real life needs and concerns began to push away at my writing time, an soon I had all but given up. The hand-written pages of 12.21.12 were thrown in a file, along with several other partial and full manuscripts and sketches, and I went on with life.

In 2009, I finally was able to drag out my old drafts and reconsider them. I rewrote the first chapter of 12.21.12, and added an occasional 500 words to it here and there. Then, one day it just consumed me. After having written the first one-third of the book in slow, occasional pages, the last two-thirds of the book came to me in the span of several weeks.

The biggest obstacle in 12.21.12 was crafting Dmitri Kronastia. I needed to make his loathesome, and yet make him forgivable in able to pull of the twist that comes at the end. I still question sometimes if I accomplished this. I'll admit that it's my own latent fear that Dmitri still needs to have a chance to serve for his sins that has me contemplating a sequel. Or maybe just another sketch to store away for another decade.

Thanks Killian!

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Killian McRae 12.21.12 Blog tour Guest post
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Wednesday 2 March 2011

In My Mailbox #24



In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi from The Story Siren and inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie



Today is a VERY special Mailbox for me! I have been waiting for these books for months!

-Signed Hardback of Firelight by Sophie Jordon Thanks to Yara from Once upon a twilight.
- Demon Glass by Rachel Hawkins
- The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa




 
The message in the book says "To Casey At Dark Readers. Let the Drakis fly" I think this is the best message I have gotton in a book before. When I first read Firelight in Febuary I tweeted Sophie a Picture of me looking like a Draki (how I thought they looked) and she Loved it. So when it came to the signing she remembered me and wrote this! ;')
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In My Mailbox #24
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