Signed City of Fallen Angels Giveaway!

In my mind there is one question that determines whether or not you're sane: Do you like Cassandra Clare's books?

If you answered no, get away from this blog. No, don't do that! I'm just kidding but this probably isn't the kind of giveaway for you. If you answered yes, you and I are going to get along awesomely.

For anyone unaware, Cassandra Clare's fourth The Mortal Instrument's book came out at the beginning of last month and since then she has been touring even making her eventual way all the way down under to Australia!

And of course as a massive Aussie fan of hers I went to a few of her Melbourne signings the last of which was her tour wrap up party!

The event was awesome and Cassie was so nice and did a great talk. Amongst all this fun, I made sure to get an extra copy of City of Fallen Angels signed so I could give it away to you guys!

So here's the deal:
- The giveaway is international, so where ever you live you can enter
- You must be a follower of the blog to enter
- 1+ entry for following on twitter
- 1+ entry for tweeting about this competition
- 2+ entries for blogging about this contest. If you don't have a blog facebook is included in this.

The giveaway will run for two weeks closing at midnight on Sunday the 12th of June Australian EST. To enter fill in this form.

And go! If you have any questions comment below and I'll do my best to answer!

Edited: Due to a complete lack of anyone entering this contest I'm extending the date to Friday the 24th of June.

Review: Divergent by Veronica Roth

Badass. That is my word of choose to describe both the protagonist and the author of this amazing book. I’d had my eye on this book for a few weeks after hearing amazing things about it and now after reading it, I want to write so more amazing things about it as it is, as all the reviews said; amazing.  

Divergent is one of those books where you pick it up, begin to read and can’t put it down. You physically can’t. From the moment I began reading I could not be detached from it and read the entire thing in one sitting. I was walking the streets of Melbourne with book in front of my face, stepping on more than one set of toes and getting yelled at for not looking where I was going but I really couldn’t care less. And now that I’ve finished, I’ve already picked it up again to lose myself in this astonishing world Veronica Roth has created.

In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can’t have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself. 

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she’s chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she’s kept hidden from everyone because she’s been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her. (Taken from the Divergent Trilogy fansite here)

Without being too spoilery, the book is set in a world where when you turn sixteen you must choose a faction in which to spend your life. You can stay with your family in the faction you grew up in, or you can leave and make a home for yourself elsewhere. There are five factions; Amity, Erudite, Abnegation, Candor and Dauntless. And they each represent something different.

This was an aspect of the book I loved. I loved sitting there after I’d finished the book and mulling over exactly which faction I think I would belong in. Would I brave enough to join the Dauntless? Good enough for Abnegation? Which would I choose, and could I ever belong there? This is an amazingly thought provoking novel.

With all the layers of secret and mystery in Divergent, it is truly a page turner that you will not be able to forget. An intricate plot unravels in this action packed novel through the eloquent writing of Veronica Roth. It will have you screaming at the book, laughing out loud and when you turn the last page, begging for more.

As I said at the top of this review, I cannot describe Tris, the protagonist, with any word more appropriate than badass. Tris is everything I wish I could be, brave, strong, smart and and at her core essentially good. She is also real. I'm not a fan of characters who show no indecision and don't even think about what they may have done after it and therefore I loved Tris who reflects back, shows regret and thought on what she's done. And loved watching her grow as a character and can't wait to read more about her,

Also this book offered me yet another fictionaly guy to crush on. And oh how I love him so. Four. He is the man I want to have my fictional babies with! I don't want to say too much about him so I don't ruin him for anyone, but just remember, when you read abourt him and subsequently fall in love with him, I've called dibs!

With a cast of memorable and sometimes sinister characters Divergent is something special all fans of dystopian fiction should read!

4/5 silver platters!

- Laura

Review: Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Recently, I've developed a bit of a crush on the dystopian genre. All the new ones coming out have been awesome, (such as Matched by Ally Condie and Delirium by Lauren Oliver) and I've found myself picking up all my old favourites (such as the Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld and The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins). Even the next book on my to-be-read list is a dystopian, Divergent by Veronica Roth. And if you too haven't jumped on this genre to give it a massive loving bear hug like I have, well, why not?! The only thing is, I think Lauren DeStefano may have ruined all other dystopians for me with her brilliant debut novel, Wither.

(Look at that beautiful cover! After reading Wither I can’t wait to see the cover of Fever)
What if you knew exactly when you would die? Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb -- males only live to age twenty-five and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out.

When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden′s geniune love for her, and a tenuous trust amoung her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape -- to find her twin brother and go home.

But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden′s eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant she trusts, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limited time she has left.
(Taken from Harper Collins website)

I'd heard many good things about Wither before it had even been released and couldn't wait to get my hands on it. Though living in Australia meant I had to wait a little longer, definitely worth the wait!. And now that I've read it I don't think any of the reviews I've read could ever depict acurately the sheer amazingness that is this book. I don't I think I can either but I'm going to do my best.

Wither is a story set in the future in a world where through genetic alterations all the diseases we're accustomed to have been eradicated. In the wake of one generation of perfectly healthy babies came all the generations affected by a virus that causes all the men to die at the age of 25 and all the women to die at 20. Lauren DeStefano has done a beautiful job explaining the intricacies of this world she's created. Not only are we given the impression that this is a future that could actually happen we're horrified by the terrible consequences it has.

The novel is told from the perspective of 16 year old Rhine Ellery, a character I can't get enough of who is practically over-flowing with depth and life. There are many layers to Rhine and we're shown who she is when she faces the challenges of being sold into a marriage with a rich man she's never met before.

There is a full and realistic cast of characters including my favourites of Gabriel and Jenna. The interactions between these characters feels genuine and even those you don't want to you fall in love with simply for their depth.

What I loved most about this book though was Lauren DeStefano's writing style. Wither is written in beautiful prose using imagery and metaphors that bring this compelling story to life.

It's a thought provoking novel that left me longing for more. I now can't wait for the sequel Fever to come out. Waiting for it is going to feel like forever!

Miss DeStefano also tweeted this afternoon (afternoon in Australia at least!) "So there is a character, in book 3, that everyone will just adore. And if you don't, I'll bake you a muffin and serve it to you myself" I really want someone to remind me to remind her of this when book 3 comes out so if I don't actually adore this character we at least get her to come to Australia to serve me that muffin so I can meet her! Because in my opinion Lauren DeStefano is a genius and you should all go read her book!

4/5 Silver Platters!

- Laura

In which I brag about giant runed cookies!

So, being the completely normal and un-book obsessed person that I am, the idea that I would ever make giant cookies with the runes from The Mortal Instruments book series is ludicrous. However, this is actually how I chose to spend my Saturday!  I mean, come on, I had to do something to fill in the time until Clockwork Prince or City of Lost Souls, and now that City of Fallen Angels is out and has been read by me the wait is stretching out before me!

So, being, aforementioned, normal, today I made giant, and I mean GIANT(!!!) cookies with chocolate chip runes!

As you can (kinda) see, there is Fearless in up the top, Equilibrium on the left and Angelic Power on the right!

                                                    And a little closer, Fearless.

And so you can see the actual GIANTNESS of the cookies! It's bigger than my head!

And here is a bigger Angelic Power!

And yes, I am this purely awesome! Yes the cookies tasted awesome! And yes I know you're jealous!

Now the only real question is will the Fearless runed cookie make me fearless? I'll let you know!

Laura 

Review: Die For Me by Amy Plum

So you remember last week when you heard screaming, manical giggling and the sounds of a happy dance but could see no source for all the raucous? That was me. Yeah, I'm sorry for all the noise, but getting the news that I could read Amy Plums, Die For Me, early just made me that happy. It's even more impressive you heard me when you consider that I live in Australia and you live... well... I don't know where you live. But I know you heard me. That's how loud and excited I was.

I'd heard about this book a few months ago and as soon as I knew a little about it I couldn't wait to read it! And all that excitement, screaming and the subsequent losing of my voice from said screaming were totally worth it!

In the City of Lights, two star-crossed lovers battle a fate that is destined to tear them apart again and again for eternity.

When Kate Mercier’s parents die in a tragic car accident, she leaves her life—and memories—behind to live with her grandparents in Paris. For Kate, the only way to survive her pain is escaping into the world of books and Parisian art. Until she meets Vincent.

Mysterious, charming, and devastatingly handsome, Vincent threatens to melt the ice around Kate’s guarded heart with just his smile. As she begins to fall in love with Vincent, Kate discovers that he’s a revenant—an undead being whose fate forces him to sacrifice himself over and over again to save the lives of others. Vincent and those like him are bound in a centuries-old war against a group of evil revenants who exist only to murder and betray. Kate soon realizes that if she follows her heart, she may never be safe again

 (Taken from Amy Plums website here)

Wow. That's all I could say for days after reading this book whenever anyone asked me what I thought, just, wow. It was amazing, unique and totally uncliched! And as sad as statement as this is, this is becoming remarkably rare in the YA genre. After the recent vampire craze (I'm not saying it's bad, hell, I was definitely a part of it, but am now a little over it) it has become harder to find a non vampire related book that's still paranormal and a great read. Well, this is definitely one of those special books that have you stalking the author wanting the next one faster than they can write it! (No, I'm not stalking you Amy Plum!...yet...)

I loved the concept of revenants in this book. They were something I'd never read about before and can't wait to read about again in the next one!

Die For Me also had a fantastic cast of characters ranging from those who were completely normal humans to the undead revenants. I adored Kate as a protagonist as she was someone I felt I could really relate to as a character and she wasn't one of those heroines out there who has no personality or can't think for herself. No, Kate was a strong lead who I loved all the more for the fact she actually bothered to think things through before diving in head first.

I also loved the boys. Oh those hot, sexy revenants boys. I swoon at the mere thought of Vincent and Jules. These were truly believable characters, if you take out the fact they're undead. Without saying anything that will ruin it for anyone I loved the fact that they'd both lived for a long time and were a little jaded because of it. And I'm sure that after reading this book a few of you will disagree with me when I make this statement, but, I want Vincent as a best friend and Jules as a boyfriend, because I think I may be a little in love with him! It's the whole sexy, french, tortured artist thing I think.

Amy Plum also has a fantastic style of writing. There was fantastic use of figurative laguage throughout the book and great descriptions that had me smelling the croissants and strolling down the Seine river with Kate in Paris.

I also need to say how much I adore the cover of this book! If I ever got a book published that would be the cover I'd want! I loved the old one with the boat, even more after reading the book, but this one is just gorgeous!

I want to reccommend this book so highly it's ridiculous! I mean so hoghly that should you want to scroll back to the top of this post on how much I love this book, you still wouldn't be high enough! In other words, as soon as it comes out drop whatever you're holding, unless of course your holding a baby or dog or other living creature, and go buy this book! You won't regret it!
You should also go and follow the author, Amy Plum, on twitter. I've talked to her a few times on twitter and she's super sweet and friendly and so nice. Her user name is @IHeartRevenants . Go follow her!

4/5 silver platter!

Laura 

Thank-you, Harper Collins, Amy Plum and NetGalley for letting me read this book!

Review: Where She Went by Gayle Forman

A few days ago, I received a copy of Where She Went by Gayle Forman, a book I've been highly anticipating. A few days ago I even posted a list of the top five reasons I loved If I Stay, this included a bit about why I couldn't wait for Where She Went and that can be found here.

My first impulse is not to grab her or kiss her or yell at her. I simply want to touch her cheek, still flushed from the night’s performance. I want to cut through the space that separates us, measured in feet—not miles, not continents, not years—and to take a callused finger to her face. I want to touch her to make sure it’s really her, not one of those dreams I had so often after she left when I’d see her so clear as day, be ready to kiss her or take her to me only to wake up with Mia just beyond reach.

But I can’t touch her. This is a privilege that’s been revoked.

It’s been three years since Adam’s love saved Mia after the accident that annihilated life as she knew it . . . and three years since Mia walked out of Adam’s life forever.
Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Julliard’s rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia’s home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future—and each other.
Told from Adam’s point of view in the spare, powerful prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance.
(From the jacket copy of Where She Went)

You can tell from the fact I did a whole post about it that I was ridiculously excited about this book and as soon as more people have read it I'll definitely do a similar list for Where She Went. As it is, there is now under a week left to wait for Where She Went and I am so excited to offer my review on the ARC I received!

I read Where She Went over two days ago and have spent all that time since turning it over in my mind and processing it. And as much as I want to do one of those reviews where I rant about how much I loved it and use lots if capitals and exclamation marks I honestly don't think that would do such an amazing book justice.

I have read a lot of reviews where emotional books are described as 'an emotional roller-coaster'. And I'm not saying that is at all wrong just that I believe a book as exceptional and unique as Where She Went deserves a new simile. That's why I would like to say it was like emotional Dodgem cars.

Why Dodgem Cars you're probably wondering. Well, on the ride you get bumped and knocked around. And then sometimes you do the bumping yourself. You may get hurt by a restricting seat belt jerking you back or by being too free by not wearing a seat belt and being knocked. But when things calm down and you step off that ride, you're ultimately happy you were on it in the end. That summarizes how I feel about Where She Went. That considered, below is a more in-depth review in which I will try to avoid spoilers though may (hopefully not) slip slightly.

So as with If I Stay, Where She Went focuses on one day with much of the story being told through flashbacks which hold something of relevance.

The entire story is told from Adam's point of view. He's not the same as we remember him though. Over the three years that have passed Adam has had reason to become a much darker person and this is shown while we're in his head. I think Gayle Forman executed this remarkably well. Adam is very angst filled at the moment and that comes across clearly and in such a way that even though he's changed there's enough the same that we still recognize him and you'll still love him. To be completely honest I think in might even live Adam more after reading Where She Went.

Another of the aspects I specifically loved about If I Stay was Gayle Forman's writing style. It wasn't purely about the story but also how it was told. The figurative language that's so descriptive it'll draw a picture in your head that won't leave you for days, the words that are so lyrical and smooth. I adored a return to this in Where She Went though with a distinctly darker edge due to Adams frame of mind.

One of my favourite aspects of Where She Went though was the lyrics at the beginning of some of the chapters. These show more than anything the way Adam was feeling when Mia left. I read some of these lyrics and just understood so much clearly his pain. When you read them you which nothing more than for the music that goes with them as I believe this would reveal even more about the emotions he was feeling at the time.

If you read my previous post on If I Stay you'll know that it was the only book I've ever cried in. Not anymore. I cried in Where She Went and now believe that Gayle Forman has a true talent for causing tears in the highly sarcastic.

It was the most engrossing read I've had in months and I read it all in one sitting being unable to leave the ending in question. Days after reading it I'm still debating whether or not I loved it more than If I Stay. And now as I write this I think I can say with conviction that no I didn't. They are both different and can't be compared. I love them both for reasons that are sometimes the same and sometimes different.
 
As I don't want to ruin anything I can't tell you how it ends only that I loved all of it, every single word, even those that made me want to cry or scream.

5/5 silver platters!

Thank-you netgalley and penguin for allowing me to read this fantastic book and thanks Gayle Forman for writing it! I can't wait for it to be released so I can go out and buy it and hold a hard copy in my hands!

Laura

Tempted By Tuesday: City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare and Red Glove by Holly Black

So, I am well aware that a lot of people out there in the blogosphere do posts which they title 'Waiting on Wednesday' to celebrate new release books which all come out on Wednesdays. This doesn't work for me. Why? Well, I'm Australian. This means that while we have the same date as everyone else for us, these dates are on Tuesdays. Hence the new segment for this blog: Tempted by Tuesday!

And to kick it off, two books I absolutely can not wait for that are coming out Tuesday week. Cassie Clare', City of Fallen Angels  and  Holly Black's Red Glove. With just over a week to go until their release I am literally counting down the days (Only ten more sleeps!) and am like a kid waiting for Santa if Santa was either an arrogant blonde shadowhunter or an awesome curse worker. Actually no, I think I'm more excited than those little kids.

For those un-initiated these books are:

(I know this is the UK edition of Red Glove but it matches the copy of White Cat I have and I assume this is the copy we'll get here in Australia)

The day I found out Miss Clare was planning on writing more Mortal Instruments books was a truly happy day for me. It's one of those days you'll always remember what you were doing, like (if you're that old) the day man walked on the moon, or the day you find out that that video you watched of man walking on the moon was possibly a hoax. I was stalkin-* I mean researching authors (wink,wink) when I stumbled across this tidbit, while literally stumbling as I was walking and reading the website on my phone so not looking where I was going, that Cassandra Clare was going to write not one but, *gasp*, three more Mortal Instruments books!! My squeals could be heard by my friend who lives on the other side of the state and called me to ask what all the noise was about!

Since then I have been collecting all the excerpts and quotes released online by Miss Clare and even entered and won a competition on her blog to win a copy of City of Glass with a chapter of City of Fallen Angels which wasn't available in Australia. And of course when that book arrived I didn't stroke the cover while also murmuring "My pretty...".

As someone who is also a fan of Holly Black you can imagine my excitement when I found out the sequel to the phenomenal White Cat was coming out the same day. Of course this also started an internal dilemma. Which should I read first? I'm sure I'm not the only one with this problem though and if you've managed to come up with a solution let me know.

This problem was only made worse of course when I found out a friend of mine knows Miss Black and has already read Red Glove! The jealousy overtook me and I think I may have told her, in a purely joking fashion, that I hate her, too which her response was "You can't hate me, I'm too awesome!". And in that particular instant I had to agree. But what have you authors done to me?!? Driven me to hate those who are my friends? Ahh the jealousy is eating me from the inside out!

As you can see from the ranting, I may possibly be in love with either or both of these two lovely ladies! Therefore I was over mars (saying over the moon is cliche!) when I found out that Cassandra Clare would be coming here to Australia in May! I was a little sad that Holly isn't coming and found myself dreaming about it before waking up and gently weeping over the injustice into my pillow. Okay, I didn't weep. But I did dream it which may mean I need to see a therapist about my obsessions, anyway... I've already booked my place and am searching for my costume. Anyway who is Melbourne and wants to go all the details are here.
 I am tossing up between three solutions on how to decide which to read first:
                      1. Toss a coin.
                      2. Whichever I see first when I walk into the book store.
                      3. Jace Wayland and pure shadowhunter sexiness or Cassel and twisty cons and magic, which am I craving more?

I'm sorry to say this Holly Black, but if I go with option 3, the simple temptation of the Dirty Sexy Alley Scene will probably win me over! (If you haven't read the DSAS it can be found, along with all the other currently released quotes here.)

Laura

*Okay, yes, I stalk authors, I've said it before and I'll say it again. It's only in the least creepy way possible, all I know is blogs, twitters, home addresses, phone numbers, bank accounts and computer passwords so nothing really. Authors, you know those weird phone calls where you pick up there's some screaming and then the phone's hung up? It's me, my international phone call bill is astronomical.