30 Apr 2013

Book Review: Never Google Heartbreak by Emma Garcia

Top tips to get over a broken heart
Don't embarrass yourself in front of your ex
Avoid sleeping with your best friend
No drunken dialling!
... And never, ever Google heartbreak

After her ex-fiancé Rob breaks off their engagement for the third time, Viv knows she needs help to get over it. And, as she searches through tales of heartbreak online, inspiration strikes - she needs to set up her own website! A one-stop shop for the broken-hearted.

However, the advice she begins getting on it doesn't seem to be helping her win Rob back. On the contrary, it seems to be pointing her in the direction of her best friend and partner-in-crime Max.

But where is Max when Viv needs him most? Will Rob ever see the error of his ways?
And, ultimately, is there a search engine powerful enough to stop us getting our hearts broken... or to stop us breaking anyone else's?


Published:    14th March 2013
Publisher:  Hodder
Goodreads :  Click here
Series:  N/A
Source:  Review Copy from Publisher
 


Continue reading Book Review: Never Google Heartbreak by Emma Garcia

29 Apr 2013

Dusty Reads: The Lying Game by Sara Shepard




Dusty Reads is a Tuesday meme that I found at Ya-aholic.com and was originally started at Xpressoreads.com. 

This is a meme where I intend to showcase a book that has been on my shelf for a while and haven’t got to yet.  If you have read this or have heard of this book, I would love to hear your comments on whether you  like it or not, or have heard great things about it.



This week, my  Dusty Read is:



 I had a life anyone would kill for. Then someone did.

I may not remember much, but I know I led a charmed life. Even in death I'm getting something no one else does: an encore performance, thanks to Emma, the long-lost twin sister I never got to meet. Now, in order to figure out what happened to me, Emma needs to become me. But can she laugh at inside jokes with my best friends? Convince my boyfriend she's the girl he fell in love with? Hug my parents good night like she's their daughter? And can she keep up the charade even after she realizes my murderer is watching her every move?

Let the lying game begin.


     

   

      The Lying Game (The Lying Game, #1)
   

 

 
 
    
Continue reading Dusty Reads: The Lying Game by Sara Shepard

28 Apr 2013

Author Interview: Tomica Scavina



A collector of kaleidoscopes and lousy relationships, Dahlia Kasper leaves her possessive alcoholic mother and moves from New York to Barcelona. In search of lost bits of her childhood, she starts living in an apartment where her father was murdered when she was four. As soon as she enters the apartment, strange things begin to happen.

Her favorite kaleidoscope becomes a gateway to another dimension where she encounters a ghost of a famous physicist from the 19th century who tries to persuade her that reality is like a moth-eaten sweater - full of holes. He needs her to help him plug up these holes and save the world from vanishing, while the only thing Dahlia really wants to save is her sanity.

This is just a part of Dahlia's problems. An elderly cello-playing neighbor turns her emotional world upside down and her longing for lost home takes her further than she ever imagined she could go. To collect all the scattered kaleidoscope-bits of her life together, Dahlia needs to go through an intense inner transformation that takes courage and a sharp sense of humor.


1.  If you could work with any other author, who would it be and why?
At this moment, it would be Scarlett Thomas, the author of fantastic novels The End of Mr. Y and Our Tragic Universe. There is a certain surreal note in her writing, which I find very inspiring. She's fascinated by quantum physics and I'm fascinated by human psyche. Through our characters, we both question the nature of this reality and I believe that we share a similar love for big and weird ideas. Who knows what fictional reality would emerge from interweaving our two perspectives.

2.  What would be a typical working day for you? When and where do you write?

I write in my study room in the mornings, usually from 7 till 10. This is the only time I can write, because later on, real people's stories drag my attention away from my fictional stories. I work as a psychotherapist and conduct a writing therapy program, which is really fulfilling, but also demanding, so whenever I can, I run over to a nearby café Laganini (this means Easily). In Laganini I often think about the plot and characters or write answers to an interview (as I am doing now) into my yellow-green notebook. In the evening, I usually watch a movie with my boyfriend or hang out with friends.

3.  What is the hardest part of the writing for you?
When I write two thirds of a novel and realize that I have to start leading the story towards an end, I face some kind of an emotional wall. I feel disconnected from the inner world of my heroine and need some time to collect myself. I know her world will become alive again in the mind of a reader, but the process of creation will end, and when I see it from my heroine's perspective, it's like facing the end of the world. The borders will be set, the creative movement will stop. For me, this is disturbing.

4.  When and why did you first start writing?
I was nine years old and I wanted to share a secret with my father. I wrote it on a piece of paper and gave it to him. He didn't really get it, but the paper did. The paper had fully accepted what I wrote - without distortion, without judgement, without advice. I think this was the seed of my love towards writing, which later evolved into writing diaries, poetry and prose.

5.  How did you come up with the idea for your book?
The idea for Kaleidoscope World was "kaleidoscopic" from the very beginning. First I had the pieces: kaleidoscope as a magical object, cellist with a missing finger and a half-crazy heroine. These pictures/ideas were somehow magnetic to me, and when I put them together, they created the main idea: kaleidoscope as a tunnel to another dimension. Which dimension is real - this one or that one? I won't explain the cellist's role, because I don't want to spoil the reading. What I want to point out is that the plot somehow created itself. I just had to shake up the kaleidoscope bits, and the whole picture was there. Once I had it, I dove into it and wrote Kaleidoscope World pretty smoothly in less then a year.

6.  Are you a big reader? If so, what are you reading now?
(I would skip this question, because unfortunately I don't have time for reading! I was a big reader for years, but now - writing is priority).
7.  Do you have any advice for other aspiring writers?
Connect with your main character closely. Think about her often. Treat her as your imaginary friend. Don't just use her to tell the story that you want to tell. Let her tell you her story too.
Continue reading Author Interview: Tomica Scavina

Book Review: Siege by Sarah Mussi


Leah Jackson - in detention. Then armed Year 9s burst in, shooting. She escapes, just. But the new Lock Down system for keeping intruders out is now locking everyone in. She takes to the ceilings and air vents with another student, Anton, and manages to use her mobile to call out to the world.

First: survive the gang - the so-called 'Eternal Knights'.
Second: rescue other kids taken hostage, and one urgently needing medical help.

Outside, parents gather, the army want intelligence, television cameras roll, psychologists give opinions, sociologists rationalize, doctors advise - and they all want a piece of Leah. Soon her phone battery is running out; the SAS want her to reconnoiter the hostage area ... But she is guarding a terrifying conviction. Her brother, Connor, is at the center of this horror. Is he with the Eternal Knights or just a pawn?

She remembers. All those times Connor reached out for help ... If she'd listened, voiced her fears about him earlier, would things be different now? Should she give up her brother?

With only Anton for company, surviving by wits alone, Leah wrestles with the terrible choices ...



Published:    7th March 2013
Publisher:  Hodder
Goodreads :  Click here
Series:  Stand Alone
Source:  Review Copy from Publisher
Review:   8 out of 10



What I loved about this story...

The topic covered in this story is relatively new to me.  I have read stories in new papers etc but, of course, these have always been from the viewpoint of someone outside looking in.  In this story, we are following the story of Leah, who is inside the school, under lock down so not being able to get out of the school, and going through everything from the 'inside'.  I did find some of the content uncomfortable to read but I felt as thought that was part of the story and if it didn't shock me I would be very surprised.  There were definitely some parts that shocked me.

A common theme with books I have been reading at the moment, the best part of this story was the character development.  There's Leah who I found to be a very strong character, even at the beginning and definitely throughout the rest of the story. 


What I was not fond of with this story...
 
At 303 pages with very large font, it was quite an 'easy' read and I would have wished the story to have gone on longer and expanded more on the story and I would have loved to have known a little more back story of some of the characters.

I won't spoil the ending here but I did feel the ending could have been different.  I really was not expecting what happened and would have loved to have something else happen there.

In summary...

A very eye opening story that definitely kept me on the edge of my seat for most of the story, shocking in places and definitely deals with some very heavy adult themed contents throughout this story that may not be suited for younger readers.

Video Review...



 Best wishes

Debs :-)

Continue reading Book Review: Siege by Sarah Mussi

24 Apr 2013

Book Review: The Secret of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorensen


The girl he thinks he loves needs to disappear. I don't want tonight to be irreversible, so I pull away, breathing him in one last time.

Ella and Micha have been best friends since childhood, until one tragic night shatters their relationship and Ella decides to leave everything behind to start a new life at college, including Micha.

But now it's summer break and she has nowhere else to go but home. Ella fears everything she worked so hard to bury might resurface, especially with Micha living right next door. Micha is sexy, smart, confident, and can get under Ella's skin like no one else can. He knows everything about her, including her darkest secrets. And he's determined to win back the girl he lost, no matter what it takes.


Published:   12th February 2013
Publisher:  Little Brown / Sphere
Goodreads :  Click here
Series:  Stand Alone
Source:  Review Copy from Publisher
Review:   7 out of 10




What I love about this story....

When I read the blurb to this story, I immediately knew that I had to read this.  It has a love element and a few skeletons in the closet.  Absolutely love those types of stories.  

What I loved the most was definitely the depth in the characters, especially the main character - Ella.  Ella is a character who has had something happen in the past that she has worked hard to try and forget but something that has been eating her up inside ever since.  I could tell when starting her journey that she was very tense and holding a lot back.  When she is back at home for summer break, she comes face to face with Micha and their past and present relationship is something that I really enjoyed following.


What I was not fond of with this story...
 
At 309 pages with pretty large font this book was a pretty easy ready but it did take me a while to finish - partly to do with the fact that I have been busy on other things this month but also I didn't feel the pull towards wanting to finish reading this book.  This book has a very gradual story, following the story at a very laid back pace.  Don't get me wrong, I really did enjoy this story very much but I felt there was no 'pull' in the story, some kind of twist in the story that makes me want to keep reading even more than usual. 



In Summary...

This was a very enjoyable laid back read.  If you love stories mainly focusing on character development, this is definitely a book to pick up and try.  I would mention that there are a few adult issues in this book that may not be suitable for younger readers.

Video Review


Best wishes

Debs :-)
Continue reading Book Review: The Secret of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorensen

23 Apr 2013

Waiting in Wednesday - Raven Girl by Audrey Niffenegger

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly memo that is hosted by Breaking the Spine Blog.

 

Expected Release Date: 7th May 2013
(Release date obtained from Goodreads)


Goodreads link is here.

.


Once there was a Postman who fell in love with a Raven.
So begins the tale of a postman who encounters a fledgling raven while on the edge of his route and decides to bring her home. The unlikely couple falls in love and conceives a child—an extraordinary raven girl trapped in a human body. 


The raven girl feels imprisoned by her arms and legs and covets wings and the ability to fly. Betwixt and between, she reluctantly grows into a young woman, until one day she meets an unorthodox doctor who is willing to change her.
 


One of the world’s most beloved storytellers has crafted a dark fairy tale full of wonderment and longing. Complete with Audrey Niffenegger’s bewitching etchings and paintings, Raven Girl explores the bounds of transformation and possibility.
Continue reading Waiting in Wednesday - Raven Girl by Audrey Niffenegger

Dusty Reads: All We Ever Wanted was Everything by Janelle Brown




Dusty Reads is a Tuesday meme that I found at Ya-aholic.com and was originally started at Xpressoreads.com. 

This is a meme where I intend to showcase a book that has been on my shelf for a while and haven’t got to yet.  If you have read this or have heard of this book, I would love to hear your comments on whether you  like it or not, or have heard great things about it.



This week, my  Dusty Read is:



 A smart, comic page-turner about a Silicon Valley family in free fall over the course of one eventful summer.
When Paul Miller’s pharmaceutical company goes public, making his family IPO millionaires, his wife, Janice, is sure this is the windfall she’s been waiting years for — until she learns, via messengered letter, that her husband is divorcing her (for her tennis partner!) and cutting her out of the new fortune. Meanwhile, four hundred miles south in Los Angeles, the Millers’ older daughter, Margaret, has been dumped by her newly famous actor boyfriend and left in the lurch by an investor who promised to revive her fledgling post-feminist magazine, Snatch. Sliding toward bankruptcy and dogged by creditors, she flees for home where her younger sister Lizzie, 14, is struggling with problems of her own. Formerly chubby, Lizzie has been enjoying her newfound popularity until some bathroom graffiti alerts her to the fact that she’s become the school slut.

The three Miller women retreat behind the walls of their Georgian colonial to wage battle with divorce lawyers, debt collectors, drug-dealing pool boys, mean girls, country club ladies, evangelical neighbors, their own demons, and each other, and in the process they become achingly sympathetic characters we can’t help but root for, even as the world they live in epitomizes everything wrong with the American Dream. Exhilarating, addictive, and superbly accomplished, All We Ever Wanted Was Everything crackles with energy and intelligence and marks the debut of a knowing and very funny novelist, wise beyond her years.


     

   

      All We Ever Wanted Was Everything
   

 

 
 
    
Continue reading Dusty Reads: All We Ever Wanted was Everything by Janelle Brown

17 Apr 2013

Author Interview: Mary Ting









Claudia Emerson has a good friend who shares the same first name and last name. That friend unfortunately dies in a tragic accident during homecoming dance. Claudia is distraught at the loss of her friend, but is even more disturbed by her dreams, which seem to take her to another place called Crossroads. Unknown to her, Crossroads is like a second heaven, a place between heaven and earth. It is where the souls of humans in comas or near death experiences may wander. Where, Claudia meets Michael, a nephilim, a half angel, half human, whom she often meets in her dreams. It turns out that this isn’t her first visit to Crossroads, which is an enigma for no human can ever travel there until Claudia.

Now the fallen and demons are after her, suspecting she must be special and it is up to Michael and the other nephilims to protect her. Her dream becomes a nightmare as more secrets are revealed, about who she really is, and the true identities of the people she loves most. Can Michael fight his growing feelings for Claudia and protect her as a guardian angel should?
                                                                                      



1.  If you could work with any other author, who would it be and why?
I would want to work with Stephenie Meyer because reading Twilight was how I got back into reading. It would be an experience of a lifetime.

2.  What would be a typical working day for you? When and where do you write?
Now that I stopped teaching to become a full time author, I work in the morning when my children go to school. Sometimes I write all day, but it’s spread out…in between cooking…after kids go to bed…while watching television with my hubby…after he goes to bed.

3.  What is the hardest part of the writing for you?
The ending is the hardest part for me. This is when I have to make a decisions for my characters…do I kill him/her…do I continue the series and if I do, do I leave a cliff hanger…what do I say at the very end to wrap up the story. Decisions…decisions…too may decisions.

4.  When and why did you first start writing?
I started writing Crossroads to help me grieve the loss of my grandmother. When I was writing, I’d stopped crying. 

5.  How did you come up with the idea for your book?
I started writing Crossroads from a dream I had in high school. Chapter one and two are based from my dreams. I truly believe I crossed over and the angel told me to go back because it wasn’t my time. I’ve always wondered what would’ve happened if I had stayed so I made the rest up. Too bad there was no Michael in my dream…lol!

6.  Are you a big reader? If so, what are you reading now?
I enjoy reading, but I enjoy writing more. Recently, I’ve been interested in writing a NA novel so I’ve read a few. Though I enjoy young adult novels, I have to be interested in the plot. If any of the stories doesn’t capture me in the first two chapters, then I stop reading.

7.  Do you have any advice for other aspiring writers?
Don’t think about it, just do it. Start writing from any point of the story that drives you or that great idea that popped in you head. Find couple of reading buddies. Ask them to read your story and give you feedback. And no matter what…have fun and don’t give up. It may take a year or more, but if the passion is there, your ideas will flow.



Continue reading Author Interview: Mary Ting