Apology...

To our dearest followers,

We are so sorry if you thought we dropped off of the face of the earth. Sorry if we worried you!
We have been so busy lately especially me (Gina) because i have a lot on my plate right now.

As you may or may not know i got offered to visit Cambridge University which took place on Tuesday. And may i say that it was AMAZING!! such an experience and i am seriously considering going there when i finish school when i'm 18. The visit also opened so many doors for me and i am now working towards becoming a Lawyer in Criminal Law (the best one in my opinion). So i had to rethink all of my options for A-level so now i am doing History, English Literature and Language, French and either Maths or Art (still undecided).
I've also been knuckling down revising after school so i have hardly read in the last week and i feel kinda bad about that :(

Over the next few days a flurry of reviews will be coming your way and here is a list of what to expect:

-Everneath by Brodi Ashton (Reviewed by me)
-Incarnate by jodi Meadows (Reviewed by me)
-Beautiful Disaster by Jaime McGuire (Reviewed by me)
-Torn by Cat Clarke (Reviewed by katie)
-If I die by Rachel Vincent (Reviewed by katie)

Another piece of exciting news is that i am still writing my third novel!!! I reached 50,000 words last night and i was so happy!! :) Basically my book is a mixture of Paranormal romance, Dystopian and kinda Fantasy-like and i really love my characters. Katie is my proof-reader and she is loving it at the moment and i hope to be finished by the end of the easter holidays and then i can start the editing process and try to get it published :)

So that's it for this week, again, we are really sorry about disappearing from the blogging world. We'll definitely be reading less now that we have upcoming tests to revise for but we will try our hardest, even if it's only one or two books a week :)

Byeeeeee

-Gina

In My Mailbox (#14)

IMM is a weekly event hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren.
This features books that we have either bought, borrowed, recieved or traded over the last week :)

Gina

Hey guys, hope you all had a great week. I know we have considering it snowed but school didn't close :( But we had fun almost falling down on our butts!!

We are also on a week's holiday which means that i should be reading some more books, hopefully three or four, and i am also writing my new book which is a supernatural dystopian. Can't say much but so far I have donw 20,000 words and i plan to read 30,000 by next week! I hope I can do it :)
Anyway, here is my second vlog!!

Vampire Academy: Graphic Novel by Richelle Mead, Adapted by Leigh Dragoon and Illustrated by Emma Vieceli (Click to see my review here!!)
Incarnate by Jodi Meadows

Hope everyone has a great week of reading and let me know what you got in your mailbox!!
Happy Reading :D

Review: Vampire Academy Graphic Novel by Richelle Mead

Reviewed by Gina

Date Read: February 8th, 2012

Date Published: August 23rd, 2011

Publisher: Razorbill

Format: Paperback

Pages: 144

Blurb: After two years on the run, best friends Rose and Lissa are caught and returned to St. Vladimir's Academy, a private high school for vampires and half-bloods. It's filled with intrigue, danger - and even romance. Enter their dark, fascinating world through a new series of 144-page full-color graphic novels. The entire first Vampire Academy novel has been adapted for book one by Leigh Dragoon and overseen by Richelle Mead, while the beautiful art of acclaimed British illustrator Emma Vieceli brings the story to life.

Review: Okay so this is my first EVER graphic novel...I know, kinda bad. But this was everything I expected and more. I read through it all in one sitting and I loved. If you are thinking of getting this graphic novel then make sure you’ve read the actual book first. But it was awesome.

So, Vampire Academy is about best friends Rose and Lissa and the book is told from Rose’s POV. Lissa is a Moroi, a mortal vampire, and Rose is a dhampir, half human – half Moroi, and she has been assigned to protect Lissa from Strigoi, evil immortal vampires who are pretty nasty. They’ve just been dragged back to the Academy and a series of events unfold around them and not all of them are good.

I am a big fan of the VA series and when I found out they had a graphic novel I knew I had to get it and I’m glad I did. The artwork for this is by a woman called Emma Vieceli and she is amazing and I loved the way she captured the characters. They are exactly how I pictured them. Rose is just amazing and the way she acted and her face expressions....It was like bringing Rose out of the book. She looked amazing! Dimitri....wow! I had been waiting to see what he looked like and I think my crush on him has deepened...I didn’t think that was possible but oh well. Definitely hot!! I didn’t exactly picture Lissa as how she was drawn though. I pictured her more graceful in a way and with shorter hair for some reason.

Seeing as though I am an artist I really appreciate the drawings in this book and they are great!! I’ve never really seen a lot of Manga/Anime work but I love this! Vampire Academy is beautifully captured and has intricate detail of the people and backgrounds.
The woman who adapted this novel, Leigh Draagon, did a great job with some of my favourite scenes!! I think my favourite parts were all the scenes between Rose and Dimitri but my all time favourite was with the necklace, so romantic and steamy. Also the end scene, the fighting with Christian and his awesome powers and Dimitri saving Rose from Natalie.

I know that when I’m having withdrawal symptoms I will pick up this book because I can see my favourite scenes right in front of me instead of having to read the 300-ish page book. This is a must for any VA fans and I can’t wait for Ma to come around when Frostbite is released.

Rating: 5 stars!!

Review: Clarity by Kim Harrington

Reviewed by Gina

Date Read: February 8th, 2012

Date Published: February 1st, 2012

Publisher: Scholastic Inc.

Format: Paperback

Pages: 256

Blurb: Don't close your eyes. Except when the truth is too dark to bear.Clarity "Clare" Fern sees things. Things no one else can see. Things like stolen kisses and long-buried secrets. All she has to do is touch a certain object, and the visions come to her. It's a gift.And a curse.When a teenage girl is found murdered, Clare's ex-boyfriend wants her to help solve the case -- but Clare is still furious at the cheating jerk. Then Clare's brother -- who has supernatural gifts of his own -- becomes the prime suspect, and Clare can no longer look away. Teaming up with Gabriel, the smoldering son of the new detective, Clare must venture into the depths of fear, revenge, and lust in order to track the killer. But will her sight fail her just when she needs it most?

Review: I really enjoyed this book!! It’s just a fun book with snarky comments that make you laugh and a murder mystery plot that is to die for. Not as amazing as some books I’ve read but I really enjoyed it. The storyline was solid and it has a nice little supernatural twist.

Clarity “Clare” Fern can see the past through touching objects that belong to people and she lives with her mum, who can read peoples’ minds, and her brother, who can see ghosts. They are the freaks in a tourist town but hey, it’s good for business, right? Apparently it’s not the only thing Clare is good for as she is asked by her ex-boyfriend to help solve a murder case. She teams up with smoking hot guy Gabriel, the son of the new detective, who isn’t so sure about her supernatural abilities. But who can she trust when the evidence points to different people she cares about?

Clare is a very cool character and her personality was awesome. She has a very witty sense of humour that had me laughing out loud and I really liked her. Her ex-boyfriend was sweet and he really does love her. Her feelings are still unsure about him but I wonder whether anything will happen in the next book which comes out in March, 2012. Gabriel was hot. Very nice although he wasn’t in it as much as I thought he would be. But oh well...All the characters were great and has some very funny moments that had me laughing my socks off.

Now the murder mystery plot...it was very addictive, intense and I kept guessing about who the murderer was up until the last moment. Although I did guess and I turned out to be right in the end!! I couldn’t put this book down for long and if it wasn’t for school I would’ve finished it in a day.

Clarity surprised me as I wasn’t sure what to expect but when I read the blurb I knew I had to have it. I am so excited for Perception to come out. March, please hurry up!!

Rating: 4 stars!!

Review: Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead

Reviewed by Gina

Date Read: February 5th, 2012

Date Published: December 10th, 2010

Publisher: Penguin Books

Format: Paperback

Pages: 584

Blurb: Rose Hathaway has always played by her own rules. She broke the law when she ran away from St. Vladimir's Academy with her best friend and last surviving Dragomir princess, Lissa. She broke the law when she fell in love with her gorgeous, off-limits instructor, Dimitri. And she dared to defy Queen Tatiana, leader of the Moroi world, risking her life and reputation to protect generations of dhampir guardians to come.
Now the law has finally caught up with Rose--for a crime she didn't even commit. She's in prison for the highest offense imaginable: the assassination of a monarch. She'll need help from both Dimitri and Adrian to find the one living person who can stall her execution and force the Moroi elite to acknowledge a shocking new candidate for the royal throne: Vasilisa Dragomir.
But the clock on Rose's life is running out. Rose knows in her heart the world of the dead wants her back . . . and this time she is truly out of second chances. The big question is, when your whole life is about saving others, who will save you?

Review: You know that sinking feeling you get when you know something amazing has finished and you know you can read it again and again but still not have that feeling of first laying eyes on the words that you've come to love so dearly? I have that feeling.
This book...It had the perfect ending and when i finished i felt my heart sting a little at having finished reading Rose's journey but i was also happy because this series is perfection. I loved every moment. The good, the bad, the happy, the sad, the annoying, the funny, the angry and so much more. This series offers so much and so many emotions go through you when you read it. I still can't believe that it's all over. I know that in the future i will be picking up this series again because i know i'll never tire of reading this story. It's been an amazing adventure and is definitely one of my most favored series out of all the oens i've read. And in my review i will let you know why...

I’m not going to give any details of the plot line because I don’t really want to spoil the ending but it started off exactly where Spirit Bound ended and Rose is in trouble. It seems that wherever she goes in this last book trouble follows her but her friends are there to back her up.
There is so much action woven into this last instalment and just when you think it can’t get better it does. So much happens and I loved every single word that I read. There was the political side to this book that interested me as well as the friendship and the love. I didn’t hate a single thing about it and I literally cannot fault this series. This series has everything a great book should have. There are so many secrets within this book and lots of twists and turns that will shock you to no end.

Love. It’s a big theme in this book and the guys in this series...they make my heart flutter and make me grin like a fool. Adrian is so funny with his smoking addiction and wanting to always be there for Rose and do whatever it takes to make her happy. I’d love a guy like him but Dimitri is the one for me. There’s no doubting it that Rose and Dimitri will be together. It’s inevitable but their journey has been a roller coaster. There’s been so many obstacles (who could forget what happened at the end of Shadow Kiss, that ending devastated me and I cried) and believe me, I had tears at one point in this book. There is so much chemistry between them and I loved everything that happened between them. They made me laugh, smile, cringe, cry and at one point I wanted to slap Dimitri so hard for being a fool but I knew they’d get there happy ending.

Rose...I’m going to miss her so much. I’ve never read a character like her before and she is just so likeable. I know I’ll miss her Rose-logic that I’ve come to know and love so much and her sarcasm and witty comments will definitely stick with me for a while. And Dimitri’s life lessons, I’ll miss those too. But I know that I will eventually read this series again and I will fall in love with it all over again.

I don’t know if I’m ready to say goodbye to this series, to Rose’s journey and I know that I’ll probably never love a series as much as I love this one. I know that there is the spin-off series but really, will it ever be the same again? I think not.

This book actually surprised me at certain parts. Things happened that I didn’t expect and characters did things that made me gasp. There were sides to Rose that I hadn’t seen before, ones that were scared and vulnerable and unsure.
When I turned the last page and saw the acknowledgements section my stomach dropped and a little noise escaped my throat. My first thought was, “That’s it. The end...I don’t want it to end.”

My next message is directed at Richelle: Thank you so much for making me fall in love with your world and its characters. It’s been a journey that I loved and I cannot wait to read Bloodlines. And if you haven’t read this series yet or are thinking about it...Stop waiting around because you have no idea what you’re missing.

Rating: 5 million stars!!!!

Review: Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead

Reviewed by Gina

Date Read: January 31st, 2012

Date Published: May 18th, 2010

Publisher: Penguin Books

Format: Paperback

Pages: 496

Blurb: Dimitri gave Rose the ultimate choice. And she made the wrong one...After a long and heartbreaking journey to Dimitri's birthplace in Siberia, Rose Hathaway has finally returned to St. Vladimir's Academy - and to her best friend, Lissa. But Rose's heart still aches for Dimitri, and she knows he's out there, somewhere. She failed to kill him when she had the chance. And now her worst fears are about to come true - Dimitri has tasted her blood, and now he is hunting her. Only this time, he won't rest until Rose joins him...forever.

Review: Could this series get any better? was what i thought when i finished the fourth one but it certainly did!! This series just blows my mind and beats all the other series and books i have read. What's not to love? There are two amazingly hot guys. Romance to make you fall head over heels. Action that never stops with so many twists and turns. Thrills to keep you turning the pages. An AWESOMESAUCE main character who kicks butt and has a very strong will and a big heart. And so I say again...What's not to love?!!

I think that by now you all know the story lines so i will only give a short summary this time. This book leaves off from Blood Promise. Rose has been recieving letters from Dimitri that tell her he is coming to get her. To kill her. But when Rose graduates she is thrown out into the big world where she isn't always protected. The twists and turns will shock you and the romance will make your head swim. Rose finds herself in trouble wherever she turns and she has no idea where she will end up. The only thing she truly knows is that she must do everything to keep those loves safe and must do anything in her power to save Dimitri, no matter the consequences.

This book is just too good to be true. I love everything this book has to offer. Rose is just amazing. I love everything about her and i honestly think that she is the best book character i've read about in a long time. Her humour and sarcasm just make me laugh. The situatiosn she's in either make me want to be her, make me cringe, make me sad (had tears at one point) and i just think she is one hell of a character. She is strong, determined, will do anything to protect thsoe she loves.I feel for Rose and to be able to be her for one day would be awesome.
There were some scenes in this book where i was just wanting to shout at some of the characters. Dimitri for example, when he was with Rose and i just wanted him to see sense (you will know what i mean when you read it).

And Dimitri and Adrian....Now those are two very HOT guys. I love them both for totally different reasons. Dimitri is strong, protective, loving, has dry humour, is extremely yummy (RUSSIAN HOTNESS) and in a way he is a lot like Rose which makes them great for each other. Adrian on the other had is sarcastic, funny, rude, an alcoholic (is it weird that i love that about him ahha), loves Rose even if she still has feelings for Dimitri and will do anything for her if she asks. I would be happy to have one of them, let about both! Rose is one lucky girl.

The plotline as always is brilliant and that ending.....just WOW!! I expected a few things (stupid me for reading spoilers for the last book) but some things i didn't expect AT ALL!!
I do not want this series to end and thinking that there is only one more book left makes me very sad....*eyes well up* But i know that it will be a great ending, i can feel it and I'm glad there is the Bloodlines series because i cannot get enough of this world that Richelle has created. A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.

Rating: 5 stars!! But i wish i could give it more :)

Review: Kiss of Death by Rachel Caine

Reviewed by Katie

Date Read: February 5th, 2012

Date Published: May 3rd, 2010

Publisher: Allison & Busby

Format: Paperback

Pages: 348

Blurb: Claire Danvers has a few things on her mind. First of all there is the laundry, which is now an unfortunate shade of pink. Then there is her boyfriend, Shane, who is never too far from her thoughts. Finally there is her best friend Eve’s relationship problems. As if life as a student wasn’t complicated enough, Claire just happens to be studying in Morganville. A town run by vampires. Trouble seems to follow Claire and her friends like a shadow and tonight is no exception to the rule. They must find the most difficult documents for a vampire to acquire; people passes that will allow ‘bad ass’ Morley and his friends to leave Morganville. But it’s proving incredibly difficult, and with the odds seemingly stacked against them, the biggest question of all is…Will they survive?

Review: Drama.Drama.Drama! Woooooow!
So, in Kiss of Death we see that Michael and his friends get to have a week out of Morganville for Michael to record his songs for a record deal.
As we know, these guys don't have much luck when it comes to drama, but so far they have managed to cope through, and yet again, I have no idea how they done so in Kiss of Death because, man, I would be the first to die if I was in a book like that! Overall it was really good, and in the Epilogue I thought Shane was going to say 'no' and I was panicking like crazy which managed to keep me awake, because it wasn't until 2:20am that I finished it!
Morley. Hmmm, glad that what he's decided (view spoiler)[to stay in Blacke (hide spoiler)] because it keeps him out of the way and one less enemy. Although, was he really an enemy? Actually, thinking about it, he wasn't. He was just acting like the enenmy to get what he wanted.
I really enjoyed reading Kiss of Death because it was outside of Morganville which adds to the excitement and makes it more memorable because so far all of the Morganville books in the series merge together as I've been reading them back to back and so I'm not sure if some of the plot happened at the end of a book, or the beginning. But I know what happens during each book, it's just some of the little parts of information is difficult to see which book it belongs to. (Sorry that has made absolutely no sense!)
Anyway, I was happy with the ending of Kiss of Death due to Shane's decision. And, ooooh, I can't believe that Amelie had Claires parents and Eve's mum held hostage to make sure that they arrive back in Morganville! Anyway, I'm starting to babble on, 5 stars for all the drama and excitement! :)

Rating: 5 stars!!

Review: Fade Out by Rachel Caine

Reviewed by Katie

Date Read: February 3rd, 2012

Date Published: Late 2009/Early 2010

Publisher: Allison & Busby

Format: Paperback

Pages: 348

Blurb: Without the evil vampire Bishop ruling over the town of Morganville, the resident vampires have made major concessions to the human population. With their newfound freedoms, Claire Danvers and her friends are almost starting to feel comfortable again...

Now Claire can actually concentrate on her studies, and her friend Eve joins the local theatre company. But when one of Eve's castmates goes missing after starting work on a short documentary, Eve suspects the worst. Claire and Eve soon realize that this film project, whose subject is the vampires themselves, is a whole lot bigger-and way more dangerous-than anyone suspected.

Review: This was really good and I hated Kim and Ada so much. I am actually so glad about what happened in the end with both of them.
I'm still feeling for Amelie and Oliver is just so annoying - but I suppose in a good way - because I'm still struggling to find out if Oliver really is good or working on both sides. It frustrates me but adds good tension to your read.
And, arghhh, I just want Michael and Claire to kiss but that's going to end in a love triangle and I will not choose between Michael and Shane. Although, I really want her to kiss him, and I was so desperate to find out that I googled it and found out what happens at the end of Last Breath, n'awww! And I was even worse by reading that little bit .... I now kick myself, haha!

Rating: 5 stars!!

Review: Carpe Corpus by Rachel Caine

Reviewed by Katie

Date Read: January 30th, 2012

Date Published: late 2009

Publisher: Alison & Busby

Format: Paperback

Pages: 356

Blurb: In the small college town of Morganville, vampires and humans lived in (relative) peace - until all the rules got rewritten when the evil vampire Bishop arrived, looking for the lost book of vampire secrets. He's kept a death grip on the town ever since. Now an underground resistance is brewing, and in order to contain it, Bishop must go to even greater lengths.

He vows to obliterate the town and all its inhabitants - the living and the undead. Claire Danvers and her friends are the only ones who stand in his way. But even if they defeat Bishop, will the vampires ever be content to go back to the old rules, after having such a taste of power?

Review: Man, that's a hella of a book! So much more action and they just keep getting better! I never thought that they could, but they really do.
Myrnin kept having me laughing like a little girl because I can really imagine him in real life and he would be so much fun to have around the place.
Amelie, wow, I felt sorry for her at the ending, and the ending about Sam almost had me crying, it was so horrible! :(
Mmm, I still love Michael and Shane and they just get loads more hotter!!
The plot really is amazing, and I love that Rachel Caine is taking risks with how the story is planning out and really taking it to the max. I absolutely love her style of writing as the books have progressed because I actually feel a real connection with the characters which I absolutely love.
Also, in the UK versions there are short stories, and I really enjoyed reading that, but I have my suspicions about Vance..
Sorry for the short review but because I've read all of these books back to back they kind of merge into each other! :)

Rating: 5 stars

Review: Lord of Misrule by Rachel Caine

Reviewed by Katie

Date Read: January 29th, 2012

Date Published: Sometime in 2009

Publishers: Allison & Busby

Format: Paperback

Pages: 348

Blurb: In the college town of Morganville, vampires and humans coexist in (relatively) bloodless hormony. Then comes Bishop, a master vampire who threatens to abolish all order, revive the forces of the evil dead, and let chaos rule.
But Bishop isn't the only threat.
Violent black clouds promise a storm of devastating proportions. As student Claire Danvers and her friends prepare to defend Morganville against the elements - both natural and unnatural - the unexpected happens: Morganville's vampires begin to vanish one by one. Discovering why leads Clare to one last choice: swear allegiance to Bishop...or die.

Review: OMFG, THAT DID SO JUST NOT HAPPEN. OH.MY.LIFE. Defintely five stars for that ending, so glad that I brought up to the eleventh books in this series because damn each book just gets better and better!!!!!
That's going to be it for the review because the books just merge in together, but you guys, if you haven't read this series yet, then please do because you won't be disappointed, and don't just buy the first book, buy them all cos you'll wanna' read them back to back. And there's me talking because I hate reading series back to back, I like to take breaks with other books, but not this series, nuh-uh!

Rating: 5 stars!!

Review: Feast of Fools by Rachel Caine

Reviewed by Katie

Date Read: January 29th, 2012

Date Published: February 23rd, 2009

Publishers: allison & busby

Format: Paperback

Pages: 367

Blurb: In the town of Morganville, vampires and humans live in relative peace. Student Claire Danvers has never been convinced, though especially with the arrival of Mr. Bishop, an ancient, old-school vampire who cares nothing about harmony. What he wants from the town's living and its dead is unthinkably sinister. It's only at a formal ball, attended by vampires and their human dates, that Claire realizes the elaborately evil trap he's set for Morganville.

 

 

Review: I don't really know what to put in this review because I have just finished the sixth book in this series and I forgot to write the reviews for the fourth and fifth because I've been busy reading them ... but all I can say is that it's a fabulous series that you have to buy, and if you don't then you're missing out on all of the fun. Your loss.. I can just have Michael and Shane more to myself! :)

 

Rating: 4 stars!!

In My Mailbox (#13)

IMM is a weekly event hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren.
This features books that we have either bought, borrowed, recieved or traded over the last week :)





Gina


Hey guys, this is my first vlog so i hope you all enjoy it :D
I'm sorry if i ramble a bit, i had to use my webcam so it's a bit blurry but on the whole i think it's okay for my first one. See, there i go again with the rambling. Let's just get down to it and see what books i got....

Clarity by Kim Harrington
Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
Everneath by Brodi Ashton

What did you get in your mailbox?