Whatever you're doing this weekend, check out Sporadic Reads and join her Weekend Readings.
After finishing Captivate by Vanessa Garden last night for Harlequin Australia's blog tour, which was an awesome read, I thought I would try a little young adult contemporary this weekend. So thanks to Bloomsbury Australia, I'll be reading...
All I want is my happily ever after.
That's all I've wanted since meeting Noah Miller.
From
the day we met, the world has tried to keep Noah and me from being
together, but now that I'm carrying his child, no one will be able to
tear us apart. Or so I hope. But Noah and I have made some mistakes
along the way, and the consequences are impacting the people we love.
Worse, there's a storm on the horizon, and it's sure to cause serious
devastation.
If we can get through this, we'll finally be Rose and Noah, a family, forever.
But first we have to survive the road ahead. And happily ever after is a long way off.
Now that Noah has cancelled his engagement to Constance, the small Amish community of Meadowview is left reeling. It's not the way of their people, and Noah fears that Elijah Schwartz will turn the community against his family. After giving into temptation, Rose is now pregnant and living back at home with her family. The feisty and passionate English girl was removed from her Amish foster parents by her father, seeing that Rose is only seventeen. Her father and brother Sam only want what's best for her, and that isn't Noah. Living within the Amish community will destroy her spirit, and neither will stand by and allow Rose to make that mistake again.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire begins as Katniss Everdeen has returned home safe after winning the 74th Annual Hunger Games along with fellow tribute Peeta Mellark. Winning means that they must turn around and leave their family and close friends, embarking on a Victor's Tour of the districts. Along the way Katniss senses that a rebellion is simmering, but the Capitol is still very much in control as President Snow prepares the 75th Annual Hunger Games, known as The Quarter Quell, a competition that could change Panem forever.
Now that you've seen Catching Fire, go behind the scenes of the making of Catching Fire with exclusive materials, including back stage photos and interviews. From the screenwriting process to the casting decisions, from the fantastic new sets and gorgeous costumes to the actors' performances and the director's vision, this is the definitive companion to the second Hunger Games film.
An exclusive hardcover edition released by Penguin Australia, valued at $24.99.
Insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our Stars is award-winning author John Green's most ambitious and heartbreaking work yet, brilliantly exploring the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love.
Despite the tumour-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.
Open to Australian residents only, enter below for your chance to win this hardcover Australian edition. Please note, this edition is unsigned.
Whatever you're doing this weekend, check out Sporadic Reads and join in on her Weekend Readings.
This weekend I plan on seeing Catching Fire, having waited for the fanatical crowds to have died down. I'll be having a dystopian weekend and plan on starting...
Written By Michael Adams
Dystopian, Science Fiction
Published October 1st 2013
400 Pages
Thank you to Allen and Unwin Australia
Add to Goodreads
★★★★
The end of the world happened quickly. The sun still shone, there was no explosion, just a tsunami sized wave of human thought drowning the world in telepathic noise as everyone's inner most secrets became audible. Everyone's thoughts, that is, except sixteen year old Danby.Everyone looked like bad actors in a poorly dubbed movie. Their expressions didn't match their emotions and their lips didn't sync with what they were saying. But they were all so loud.The end of the world happens in the blink of an eye.When The Snap sweeps the globe, everyone can instantly hear everything that everyone else is thinking. As secrets and lies are laid bare, suburbs and cities explode into insanity and violence. What might have been an evolutionary leap instead initiates the apocalypse.Sixteen year old Danby Armstrong's telepathy works very differently. She can tune into other people but they can't tune into her. With only this slender defense, Danby must protect her little brother and reach the safety of her mother's mountain retreat. But it's 100 kilometers away and the highways are blocked by thousands of cars and surrounded by millions of people coming apart at the psychic seams.Danby's escape is made even more dangerous by another cataclysm that threatens humanity's extinction. And her ability to survive this new world will be tested by a charismatic young man whose power to save lives may be worse than death itself.
It could have happened any number of ways, climate change, a virus pandemic, aliens, even a zombie invasion, but Danby Armstrong would never have guessed that when she attended Mollie's party, that it could have been the beginning of the collapse of civilization... And she certainly wouldn't have known that a pair of novelty socks would have torn her world apart. Sixteen year old Danby is like any other teen, she lives her life online, saves every dollar from her part time position at The Grocery and dreams of the day she finishes school, when she buys a ticket to freedom and travels the world. She lives with her half brother Evan, her father who married her former nanny Stephanie. Stephanie is shallow, vain and put an end to Danby's dream of having her mother return from her disconnected retreat in the mountains.
The Morning that changed her life, also changed the world forever. While families should have been exchanging gifts, The Snap left devastation and destruction in it's wake. Inner thoughts were no longer private, secrets were exposed and the guilty were persecuted, none more so than Stephanie. Her step mother has been having an affair with her personal trainer, her inner thoughts shedding more than any child should hear. Thoughts fly back and forth until the confrontation between Danby's father and Stephanie becomes physical, it's that point where Danby realises that although she can hear the thoughts of others, her inner voice is silent to everyone else around her. Sydney is self destructing and angry rioting is rife through Beautopia Point, with communal consciousness cheering for cold blooded murder. But Danby had seen the signs much earlier. Being brought their meals at Rubber Thaime without ordering, knowing that best friend Jacinta wants crush Finn for herself, or that a friend's boyfriend is upstairs at the party, having sex with someone else in the bathroom. Hearing a couple silently auguring in The Grocery, after the girl's partner had thought she was fat. But when mental illness runs in your family, this is one instance where medication won't prepare you for what's to come.
A suicide pilot playing Highway To Hell takes his life and countless others, as he flew the Sydney to Bali bound Airbus into the Harbour Bridge. A shockwave triggered a tsunami that flooded the harbour, glass across the suburbs shattered while a thunderous explosion of ash and debit clogged the air. Amongst the mayhem, Danby hears a lone voice from upstairs, little brother Evan. With the new world closing in, Danby knows they need to leave and their best chance to escape the horrific scene is the long journey to her mothers mountain retreat... If they can survive.
But when the silence strikes and the world feels desolate, all but a select few are immune to their thoughts and body shutting down. Nathan is a second year medical student, who finds himself tagging along with Danby as she explores the masses of unconscious and near death bodies littering the streets. But what makes them so special? When they discover that a popular anti psychosis medication may breathe life back into those that are catatonic, who do they decide which people to reanimate? The plan is to dose one person, leave instructions and medication so that they may dose the next person, creating a chain reaction of citizens aiding one another... Until Jack enters the picture.
Jack is amassing an army, gathering supplies and the strong and healthy to help him on his way. He too has been awaking the catatonic, but without the means of medication. Jack seems to have the knowledge and know how to survive, but what is it that Jack, Nathan and Danby share in common? She may not be able to hear Jack's thoughts, but she'll need to instill trust in someone. It may be Danby's best chance at making it back to her mother.
Kelly's Thoughts
The Last Girl was unlike anything I've read before. It was intense, on edge and I absolutely loved it. The story takes place in Sydney, where The Snap occurred and suddenly the population's thoughts were being broadcast to family, friends and neighbours. Affairs were exposed, buried secrets making themselves known, and it's clear that most everyone has held back the truth at one point of another, culminating in a catastrophic explosion which was too much to bear. The atrocities that Danby and special needs brother Evan witnessed were confronting and terrifying, Michael Adams created a world that was self destructing and didn't hold back. I can't recall how many scenes through the initial few chapters after The Snap where I read with my hand over my mouth, but it was brilliant.
Too often young adult authors assume that the intended audience only ever want to read about a dashing love interest or a hero or heroine swinging in to save the day, but this was raw and the emotional reactions were realistic and what you would expect during what people believe is the end of the world. This is what young adult should be about, a slow building and well crafted story that will leave you breathless and on the edge of your seat. Just when I thought I couldn't take any more, Michael Adams slaps me over the head with and ending that I now can't stop wondering about. I can't bring myself to read The Last Shot sneak peek, it's dangling a carrot when I'm desperately after the whole vegetable garden.
Written By Melissa Keil
Published February 1st 2013
316 Pages
Thank you to Netgalley and Peachtree Publishers
Add to Goodreads
★★★☆
Life in Outer Space is a romantic comedy about a movie geek & the dream girl he refuses to fall in love with. Sam Kinnison is a geek, and he’s totally fine with that. He has his horror movies, his nerdy friends, World of Warcraft, and until Princess Leia turns up in his bedroom, worry about girls he won't. Then Camilla Carter arrives on the scene. She’s beautiful, friendly and completely irrelevant to his plan. Sam is determined to ignore her, except that Camilla has a plan of her own, and he seems to be a part of it.
Sam Kinnison is a fully fledged nerd. World of Warcraft player, Battlestar Galactica debater, wannabe screenwriter and horror movie expert. You'll find Sam hanging out in the computer room at Bowen Lakes Secondary School, he and friends Mike, Adrian and Allison will do just about anything to avoid Justin Zigoni and his group of minions known as The Vessels of Wank. Mike is secretly gay, only telling his close friends after a weekend of watching Dirty Dancing and his non response to big breasted woman posing provocatively over farm equipment had failed. But lately, Mike has withdrawn from the group. He has stopped his Karate training, to which he was once obsessed. Adrian has been known as the Troll since he was eight, slightly overweight, unruly curly hair and a light layer of whiskers that is trying it's darn hardest to become a beard. He's easily distracted by food, fiercely protective of his friends and can slot a Star Trek reference into any sentence. Allison is the only girl within the group, wispy blonde hair who's expression rarely changes beyond a grimace. The small group of awkward teens have always relied on one another, because that's all they've ever had... Until new girl Camilla Carter strolls into their classroom.
Camilla is the attractive new girl. Having only just moved back to Australia with her music journalist father, having last lived in New York, but picking up her British accent from the years of living in London. Instantly, she's a hit. The Vessels idolize her and her musical connections, she dresses like a seventies housewife, complete with Princess Leia buns. She's a member of every social circle, the girls volleyball team, the chess club and a committee member organising the spring dance. Camilla is now the fifth member of Sam's group, staying for dinner each Friday night at Sam's after study group and playing World of Warcraft together. Camilla has become a permanent fixture in their lives, luring the group into the cafeteria to eat lunch and even somehow convincing them each to buy a ticket to the spring dance. But the biggest influence she's had in their lives? Justin Zigoni ignores them completely.
But as Sam and Camilla fall into an easy friendship, Sam's world starts developing cracks, threatening to fall apart. His parents have never had a close relationship, his father spending more time in his study to the point where Sam's suspects he may actually be Batman, and naturally his mother is a neglected mess trying to keep herself together. Mike is clearly troubled, but refuses to talk to anyone. But when Allison kisses Sam, Adrian tells Camilla resulting in Sam lashing out and Mike picking arguments for no apparent reason, Sam doesn't know how to cope with the mess that's become his life. To make matter's worse, he releases that the girl he swore he didn't want, the one who indulges his love of horror, who shares his love of video games and isn't afraid to be herself, he likes her. He really likes her. Pity about that motorcycle riding, guitar playing boyfriend Dave.
Camilla insists on driving Sam out of his comfort zone, whether it be guitar lessons, a beach party or watching something other than horror or science fiction. While Sam is trying to distance himself from the girl he's determined not to fall in love with... And failing miserably. But Camilla has a few secrets of her own. Will Sam be the nice guy who doesn't finish last for once?
Kelly's Thoughts
Life In Outer Space was cute. It's a light and fluffy read set in Melbourne and tells the story of Sam, nerd, gamer and awkward teen. Sam is really likable, his character is mostly polite, a quiet achiever and just wants to fit in. He and his group of friends find themselves spending high school, ducking and weaving their way to escape the popular group, which always ends up with someone being hurt. Camilla is instantly popular, especially when the popular kids realise her links to the celebrity world. She's effortlessly cool and takes a shine to Sam, who really has no idea what to do with this new information. But as the months pass by, Camilla seems to bridge the gap between the popular kids and Sam's group without even trying, and being ignored by a bully is certainly better than being noticed by one.
Camilla is a darling. She's quirky, free spirited and genuine. And although the storyline is kept lighthearted, it had the potential for something more substantial with Mike's storyline, Camilla's neglectful father and the torment the group experiences at the hands of Justin. It barely skims the surface though, which is great for the young teen reader and intended audience. I needed a little more substance though, which would have pushed it up to a four star read. If you're looking for a feel good, light read, this one is perfect.
Stacking
The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your
shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books
you buy in physical stores or online bookshops, books you borrow from
friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks. Hosted
by Tyngas Reviews.
Thanks to Harlequin Australia, Scholastic Australia, and Putnam Penguin Books in the U.S (my first international ARC paperbacks), this week I received through publishers and purchase:
The Well's End by Seth Fishman and Scan by Walter Jury and S. E Fine. I also have a paperback copy of SCAN to giveaway in the new year for my fellow Aussies. Thank you to Putnam U.S.
Twelve (The Last Thirteen) by James Phelan (cover not pictured) and The Skull In The Wood by Sandra Greaves. Thank you to Scholastic Australia.
Captivate by Vanessa Garden. Thank you to Harlequin Australia.
And a very special extra thank you to the lovely folk at Scholastic, for sending me a copy of:
Catching Fire, the New
York Times bestseller by Suzanne Collins, is now a major motion picture, and this is your guide to all of the movie's excitement, both in
front of the camera and behind it.
Go behind the scenes of
the making of Catching Fire with exclusive materials, including
back-stage photos and interviews. From the screenwriting process to the
casting decisions, from the fantastic new sets and gorgeous costumes to
the actors' performances and the director's vision, this is the
definitive companion to the second Hunger Games film.
This week I also purchased: Heart On My Sleeve by Ellen Wittlinger, Two Steps Forward by Rachel Cohn and Cupid Painted Blind by Charlotte Calder.
I treated myself to: The Fault In Our Stars by John Green. This is the Australian signed, hard cover edition available from Dymocks Books Australia.
As an extra special gift for my fellow Aussies, thanks to Dymocks, I'll be giving away an unsigned hard cover copy of The Fault In Our Stars closer to Christmas.
So look out for the giveaway running during December until I celebrate my first blog birthday in the new year.
What are you stacking your shelves with this week?
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