Unravelling by Elizabeth Norris

Title: Unravelling
Author: Elizabeth Norris
Publisher: HarperCollins
Released: April 24th 2012
Pages: 445 (Paperback)
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US
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STOP THE COUNTDOWN, SAVE THE WORLD…

Leaving the beach, seventeen-year-old Janelle Tenner is hit head on by a pickup truck.

And killed.

Then Ben Michaels, resident stoner, is leaning over her. And even though it isn’t possible, she knows Ben somehow brought her back to life…

Meanwhile, Janelle’s father, a special agent for the FBI, starts working on a case that seems strangely connected to Ben. Digging in his files, Janelle finds a mysterious device – one that seems to be counting down to something that will happen in 23 days and 10 hours time.

That something? It might just be the end of the world. And if Janelle wants to stop it, she’s going to need to uncover Ben’s secrets – and keep from falling in love with him in the process…

From spending the last eight years obsessing over Doctor Who, I'm a big fan of the science fiction genre. If you've read a few of my sci-fi reviews, you'll know that I'm absolutely rubbish with physics; I just can't get my head around it, which is why it's kind of weird how much I love this genre. From the synopsis I figured that there would be some action sequences and maybe a sci-fi element or two, but boy was I in for a surprise!

Waiting on Wednesday (#32)

Waiting on Wednesday' is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Cover Reveal (#11)

His world is music… 

…Her world is silent. 

Ali Blinde was a prodigy destined to become one of the greatest musicians of the 21st century. 
Until the brain tumor struck. 

Now seventeen, Ali lives in a soundless world where she gets by with ASL and lip-reading. So when she meets Jace Beckett, she thinks he’s her worst nightmare come true. Jace is the lead singer in the wildly-popular band, Tone Deaf, and he’s exactly the kind of success-story Ali hates and resents.
  
Nineteen-year-old Jace has it all: fame, money, and any girl he wants. Every night on tour brings a new performance and a new girl, which is just what he needs to avoid the pain of relationships.  
But when Jace learns Ali is being abused, he reluctantly proposes a solution: Run away with him and his band as they tour the country. With freedom in sight, Ali takes the offer. Immediately, she’s swept into a world filled with wild punk music, wilder musicians, and maybe—just maybe—love. 

How many teenage girls get to say that they're an author? That's what first drew me to Tone Deaf, a new adult romance set to hit the shelves November 4th 2013. I mean, even before I saw the cover, I wanted it. I don't like cliché contemporary romances, as I like my stories with a bit more depth. Tone Deaf is a contemporary romance, but the story promises to be so much more than simply boy-meets-girl-falls-in-love.

Top Ten Tuesday (#3)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the girls over at The Broke and the Bookish, where bloggers get together and list the top ten things related to that week's topic.

Top Ten...beginnings/endings of books

The Diviners by Libba Bray

Title: The Diviners
Author: Libba Bray
Publisher: Atom
Released: September 1st 2012
Pages: 592 (Hardcover)
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US
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It's 1920s New York City. It's flappers and Follies, jazz and gin. It's after the war but before the depression. And for certain group of bright young things it's the opportunity to party like never before.

For Evie O'Neill, it's escape. She's never fit in in small town Ohio and when she causes yet another scandal, she's shipped off to stay with an uncle in the big city. But far from being exile, this is exactly what she's always wanted: the chance to show how thoroughly modern and incredibly daring she can be.

But New York City isn't about just jazz babies and follies girls. It has a darker side. Young women are being murdered across the city. And these aren't crimes of passion. They're gruesome. They're planned. They bear a strange resemblance to an obscure group of tarot cards. And the New York City police can't solve them alone.

Evie wasn't just escaping the stifling life of Ohio, she was running from the knowledge of what she could do. She has a secret. A mysterious power that could help catch the killer - if he doesn't catch her first.

FINALLY! I HAVE FINALLY FINISHED THIS! I feel like I deserve a medal; The Diviners is nothing if not a marathon read, with almost 600 pages! As soon as I saw the US cover, I knew I needed to read it - but when I saw the UK cover, I absolutely fell in love. Although the book wasn't quite what I was expecting, I will stick by saying that the covers are utterly breathtaking - perhaps some of the best I have ever come across? I think this is a perfect example to not judge a book by its cover, because it can be misleading - for better or for worse.

Cover Reveal (#10)

Now I read Megan Miranda's Fracture earlier this month, so I was quite surprised when suddenly there was this huge hype surrounding something called Vengeance? Yep, Miranda decided to make Fracture into a series - something I'm half-excited by, and half-confused by. For me at least, Fracture ended with all the i's dotted and t's crossed - what more could possibly happen?

Nobody really believes in a curse. Until you know the people who disappear. Too much coincidence, you look for reason. Too much death, you grasp for something to blame. 

Carson pulled Delaney out and he died on the side of the road with her mouth pressed to his. Her air in his body. 

Troy. She told the cops it was suicide. Didn't matter. The lake released her and grabbed another. 

But when Decker's father dies in a pool of spilled water on their kitchen floor, all Decker can feel is a slow burning rage. Because he knows that Delaney knew that his dad was going to die. She knew and backed out of his house and never said a word. Falcon Lake still has a hold on them both, and Decker can't forgive Delaney until he knows why.

Well, that, apparently. The synopsis promises something interesting, but I'm still not totally convinced! And I don't want any hate between Decker and Delaney! Anyway, one thing I am convinced on is the cover - isn't it gorgeous? It matches Fracture perfectly, and I'm already picturing the copies side-by-side on my shelf!

Forever by Judy Blume

Title: Forever
Author: Judy Blume
Publisher: Macmillan
Released: 1975
Pages: 208 (Paperback)
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US
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There's a first for everything.

When you build up something in your mind - really imagine it, wish for it - sometimes, when it actually happens, it doesn't live up to your expectations.

True love is nothing like that. 

Especially not for Katherine and Michael, who can't get enough of each other. Their relationship is unique - sincere, intense, and fun all at the same time. Although they haven't been together all that long, they know it's serious. A whole world opens up as young passion and sexuality bloom.

But it's senior year of high school, and there are big changes ahead. Michael and Katherine are destined for another big "first": a decision. Is this the love of a lifetime, or the very beginning of a lifetime of love?

Most teen girls I know have read at least one Judy Blume book during their lifetime, so I felt like I was missing out on something. It kind of turns out that I wasn't, as Forever was nothing if not flat - yet I'm glad I read it. Not only was it a quick read, but it was a realistic romance, unlike so many of those cheesy happily-ever-afters we get nowadays. I think Blume is a must-read for young girls for the experience, but the books don't hold exactly the same impact that they used to.

All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill

Title: All Our Yesterdays
Author: Cristin Terrill
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Released: August 1st 2013
Pages: 379 (eBook)
Pre-Order: Amazon UK / Amazon US
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Em is locked in a bare, cold cell with no comforts. Finn is in the cell next door. The Doctor is keeping them there until they tell him what he wants to know. Trouble is, what he wants to know hasn't happened yet. 

Em and Finn have a shared past, but no future unless they can find a way out. The present is torture - being kept apart, overhearing each other's anguish as the Doctor relentlessly seeks answers. There's no way back from here, to what they used to be, the world they used to know. Then Em finds a note in her cell which changes everything. It's from her future self and contains some simple but very clear instructions. Em must travel back in time to avert a tragedy that's about to unfold. Worse, she has to pursue and kill the boy she loves to change the future.

I've had my eye on All Our Yesterdays for a while - for a debut, the synopsis hinted at an impressive but ambitious plot. For the first sentence, Terrill had me captured, so when I managed to get my hands on an ARC of it, I could hardly wait to sink my teeth into it! Unfortunately, a couple of pages in and I was already disappointed. However, what initially began as a 2-star book gradually transformed into a 4-star.

Stacking the Shelves (#10)

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga at Tynga's Reviews where bloggers get together and show off what new reads are stacking up on their shelves.

Haven't done one of these in a while! So lately, I've been going totally library-crazy, and have been taking out book after book!

For Review
Seven Deadlies by Gigi Levangie (from Penguin via Netgalley)
The Perpetual Motion Club by Sue Lange (from Perpetual Motion Machine Publishing via Netgalley)
Freakboy by Kristin Elizabeth Clarke (from Macmillan via Netgalley)
Silent Echo: A Siren's Tale by Elisa Freilich (from Diversion via Netgalley)
The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (from Disney Hyperion via Netgalley)
Crown of Midnight (print copy! Squee!) by Sarah J. Maas (from Bloomsbury)

Borrowed (from the library)
Defiance by C. J. Redwine
Bloodlines by Richelle Mead
Eragon by Christopher Paolini
Heist Society by Ally Carter
Crewel by Gennifer Albin
Lover Eternal by J. R. Ward
Everneath by Brodi Ashton
Forsaken by Jana Oliver
Forever by Judy Blume
Unravelling by Elizabeth Norris

Bought
Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire (by me)

So what have you received this week? Leave a comment below!

Follow Friday (#26)

Feature & Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read where you meet and follow different bloggers.

Question of the Week: What do you do with your books after you are done reading them?

Normally, I just stick them back on my bookshelf, because although I'm not a hoarder in general, I will admit that I'm a hoarder of books; they're just so pretty and difficult to part with! If I've read a book and know someone who will really enjoy it, then I will most likely lend it out to them (like The Hunger Games - my copies are so battered from being here, there and everywhere!) or just give it away permanently (I knew that when I started using the Twilight series as a fly swat that I needed to pass it on.)

So what about you? What do you do with books after you've finished them? Leave a comment below, and don't forget to check out the giveaway.

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Waiting on Wednesday (#31)

Waiting on Wednesday' is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Strangelets by Michelle Gagnon

Title: Strangelets
Author: Michelle Gagnon
Publisher: Soho Teen
Released: April 9th 2013
Pages: 280 (eBook)
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US
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17-year-old Sophie lies on her deathbed in California, awaiting the inevitable loss of her battle with cancer…
17-year-old Declan stares down two armed thugs in a back alley in Galway, Ireland…
17-year-old Anat attempts to traverse a booby-trapped tunnel between Israel and Egypt…

All three strangers should have died at the exact same moment, thousands of miles apart. Instead, they awaken together in an abandoned hospital—only to discover that they’re not alone. Three other teens from different places on the globe are trapped with them. Somebody or something seems to be pulling the strings. With their individual clocks ticking, they must band together if they’re to have any hope of surviving. 

Soon they discover that they've been trapped in a future that isn't of their making: a deadly, desolate world at once entirely familiar and utterly strange. Each teen harbors a secret, but only one holds the key that could get them home. As the truth comes to light Sophie, Declan, Anat, and the rest must decide what to do with a second chance at life—if they can survive to claim it.

Concept? Great. Everything else? Bad. I really wanted to like this novel, as it seemed like something fresh and innovative; something that would spark the imagination and leave you reeling for more at the end. Sadly, the only thing I felt at the end was disappointed. Anticlimax of the century.

Top Ten Tuesday (#2)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the girls over at The Broke and the Bookish, where bloggers get together and list the top ten things related to that week's topic.

Top Ten...Words/Topics That Make Me Not Pick Up a Book

Dark Lover by J. R. Ward

Title: Dark Lover
Author: J. R. Ward
Publisher: Piatkus
Released: September 6th 2005
Pages: 416 (Paperback)
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US
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In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there's a deadly turf war going on between vampires and their slayers. There exists a secret band of brothers like no other-six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Yet none of them relishes killing more than Wrath, the leader of The Black Dagger Brotherhood. 

The only purebred vampire left on earth, Wrath has a score to settle with the slayers who murdered his parents centuries ago. But, when one of his most trusted fighters is killed-leaving his half-breed daughter unaware of his existence or her fate-Wrath must usher her into the world of the undead-a world of sensuality beyond her wildest dreams.

I don't like erotica, and I'm wary around vampire books - yet I've fallen absolutely head over heels for the Black Dagger Brotherhood? The novel was thick and the plot held depth, yet I devoured it like it was a piece of toast - reader, if you have not read this series yet, I implore you to try it. It's unlike any other.

Frostbite by Richelle Mead

Title: Frostbite
Author: Richelle Mead
Publisher: Razorbill
Released: April 10th 2008
Pages: 327 (Paperback)
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US
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Rose loves Dimitri, Dimitri might love Tasha, and Mason would die to be with Rose... 

It’s winter break at St. Vladimir’s, but Rose is feeling anything but festive. A massive Strigoi attack has put the school on high alert, and now the Academy’s crawling with Guardians—including Rose’s hard-hitting mother, Janine Hathaway. And if hand-to-hand combat with her mom wasn’t bad enough, Rose’s tutor Dimitri has his eye on someone else, her friend Mason’s got a huge crush on her, and Rose keeps getting stuck in Lissa’s head while she’s making out with her boyfriend, Christian! The Strigoi are closing in, and the Academy’s not taking any risks... This year, St. Vlad’s annual holiday ski trip is mandatory. 

But the glittering winter landscape and the posh Idaho resort only create the illusion of safety. When three friends run away in an offensive move against the deadly Strigoi, Rose must join forces with Christian to rescue them. But heroism rarely comes without a price...

I don't love vampires as much as I used to, purely because it is quite overdone, more so than other paranormal creatures. However, as soon as I read the first book in the Vampire Academy series, I knew that I had found something different. In these books, Mead has taken an idea and has transformed it into something unique - there are no vampires about that are quite like these.

Follow Friday (#25)

Feature & Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read where you meet and follow different bloggers.

Question of the Week: Book Vacay: Where is the best destination reading spot for you? (Where do you like to go to read other then your home)

This is going to sound really lame, but I love reading on the bus. I travel on it a lot - to and from school, to and from work - and I just plug in my headphones and lose myself in music and a book. I'm so used to the routes I take that I subconsciously know where I am, so it's not like I'm breaking away every other minute to check if I've missed my stop. It's oddly peaceful.

So what's your favourite reading spot? Leave a comment below, and don't forget to check out the giveaway!

Prep School Confidential by Kara Taylor

Title: Prep School Confidential
Author: Kara Taylor
Publisher: St. Martins Press
Release: July 30th 2013
Pages: 304 (eBook)
Pre-Order: Amazon UK / Amazon US
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Anne Dowling practically runs her exclusive academy on New York’s Upper East Side—that is, until she accidentally burns part of it down and gets sent to a prestigious boarding school outside of Boston. Determined to make it back to New York, Anne could care less about making friends at the preppy Wheatley School. That is, until her roommate, Isabella’s body is found in the woods behind the school. 

When everyone else is oddly silent, Anne becomes determined to uncover the truth no matter how many rules she has to break to do it. With the help of Isabella’s twin brother Anthony, and a cute classmate named Brent, Anne discovers that Isabella wasn’t quite the innocent nerdy girl she pretended to be. But someone will do anything to stop Anne’s snooping in this fast-paced, unputdownable read—even if it means framing her for Isabella’s murder.

All I really have to say about this book is HELL TO THE YES! Okay, I have a lot more to say than just that, but as a quick summary, this book was amazing. I'm a sucker for a mystery/thriller novel, so that combined with girls who may as well be straight out of Gossip Girl is a must-read. However, whatever expectations I may have held before I read it was nothing compared to how I felt afterwards; Taylor blew those expectations right out of the water.

Cover Reveal (#9)

Yesterday, the cover of Panic by Lauren Oliver was revealed! I am a massive fan of her books - there is just something about her writing that is crazily addictive, and you can guarantee that anything of hers will be well-written and compelling.

There were several things that drew my eye to the cover. First, the fonts - they are typically "Lauren Oliver" fonts, as in they are used on a lot of her book covers. I like it, though; without even reading her name, a part of your subconscious knows it's by her, which is pretty cool.

A lot of Oliver's book covers are quite detailed, so it was quite a shock to see how plain this cover is. However, it isn't boring - the simplicity of the cover draws the reader's eye towards the girl. Her face is covered, and she is pretty much a mystery - just like this 'Panic' that is mentioned in the synopsis.

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

Title: Seraphina
Author: Rachel Hartman
Publisher: Corgi
Released: July 1st 2012
Pages: 369 (Paperback)
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US
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Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty's anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.

Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen's Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.

Half of the time, I firmly have my head stuck in fantasy land - new worlds, dragons, goblins, elves, dwarves - I love it all! Seraphina came up on my radar back in February, as even though it was published back in 2012, it's recently started to increase in popularity. As soon as I saw the synopsis was about dragons - well, who am I to resist?

Waiting on Wednesday (#30)

Waiting on Wednesday' is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza

Title: Mila 2.0
Author: Debra Driza
Publisher: HarperCollins
Released: March 12th 2013
Pages: 480 (eBook)
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US
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Mila was living with her mother in a small Minnesota town when she discovered she was also living a lie.

She was never meant to learn the truth about her identity. She was never supposed to remember the past—that she was built in a computer science lab and programmed to do things real people would never do.

Now she has no choice but to run—from the dangerous operatives who want her terminated because she knows too much, and from a mysterious group that wants to capture her alive and unlock her advanced technology.

Evading her enemies won't help Mila escape the cruel reality of what she is and cope with everything she has had to leave behind. However, what she's becoming is beyond anyone's imagination, including her own, and that just might save her life.

I was really excited for Mila's release, as I'm a bit of a sci-fi nut, and the concept completely appealed to me. However, after I read What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang, I was hesitant. These two books are completely unrelated, but in my mind I'd sort of paired them together, and had high hopes for both. When Zhang let me down just slightly , I was worried that Driza would do the same.

Top Ten Tuesday (#1)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the girls over at The Broke and the Bookish, where bloggers get together and list the top ten things related to that week's topic.

So my original Tuesday meme was Teaser Tuesday...though I only did it once, months ago, and I just kept forgetting to do it again! So for a fresh start - and because more people are jumping onto this memes bandwagon - I've decided to switch it out for Top Ten Tuesday.

Top Ten...Authors Who Deserve More Recognition

Dare You To by Katie McGarry

Title: Dare You To
Author: Katie McGarry
Publisher: MIRA Ink
Released: May 22nd 2013
Pages: 470 (Kindle)
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US
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Ryan lowers his lips to my ear. "Dance with me, Beth."
"No." I whisper the reply. I hate him and I hate myself for wanting him to touch me again...
"I dare you..."

If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does....

Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him.

But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all.

I really enjoyed Pushing the Limits, but not as much as everyone else. Whilst the hype was thick in the contemporary-romance-lovers community, I found that there was just something missing between me and the characters, despite being able to relate to them. At the end of my review, I'd said that I hadn't put Dare You To on my TBR list just yet, as I was undecided about how it would turn out. As it is, I managed to get my hands on an ARC copy and oh my days - I think I'm in love!

Saving June by Hannah Harrington

Title: Saving June
Author: Hannah Harrington
Publisher: MIRA Ink
Released: May 1st 2011
Pages: 336 (Paperback)
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US
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‘If she’d waited less than two weeks, she’d be June who died in June. But I guess my sister didn’t consider that.’

Harper Scott’s older sister has always been the perfect one so when June takes her own life a week before her high school graduation, sixteen-year-old Harper is devastated. Everyone’s sorry, but no one can explain why.

When her divorcing parents decide to split her sister’s ashes into his-and-her urns, Harper takes matters into her own hands. She’ll steal the ashes and drive cross-country with her best friend, Laney, to the one place June always dreamed of going, California.

Enter Jake Tolan. He’s a boy with a bad attitude, a classic-rock obsession and nothing in common with Harper’s sister. But Jake had a connection with June, and when he insists on joining them, Harper’s just desperate enough to let him. With his alternately charming and infuriating demeanour and his belief that music can see you through anything, he might be exactly what she needs.

Except June wasn’t the only one hiding something. Jake’s keeping a secret that has the power to turn Harper’s life upside down again.

I guess it's kind of backwards to read an author's second novel, love it, and go into reading the debut with high expectation - but I did. Speechless took my breath away, and I read countless other reviews saying that they'd picked up speechless because of how utterly amazing Saving June was. I read the synopsis, and I fell in love - I just hoped the book would meet the hype.

Unremembered by Jessica Brody

Title: Unremembered
Author: Jessica Crody
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Released: February 28th 2013
Pages: 303 (Paperback)
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US
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A catastrophic plan crash leaves one survivor: a girl with no memory.
Who is she?
Where does she come from?
Nobody knows and no one comes forward to claim her.
Haunted by a looming threat she can't remember and plagued by abilities she doesn't understand, she struggles to recall who she is. But every clue leads to more questions. And she's running out of time to answer them.
Her only hope is a boy who claims they were once in love.
Alone and on the run, who should she trust? And what if she discovers that she is safer with a past that stays unremembered?

The more I think about it, the lower the books rating dips. The concept of Unremembered has been done - over and over and over again. Even so, I still go into these novels with a shred of hope that this time will be different; that this time, the book will be what the synopsis promises. Unfortunately it wasn't, and whilst I enjoyed some bits, the plot overall seemed a bit dead.

Steel Lily by Megan Curd

Title: Steel Lily
Author: Megan Curd
Publisher: Self
Release: August 20th 2013
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Avery Pike is a commodity. No, more than a commodity. Her existence is guarded at all costs.
She’s a water Elementalist, the strongest of her dwindling kind. She creates steam to provide energy to fuel Dome Four: the only thing standing between humanity and an earth ravaged by World War III. No steam, no Dome. No Dome, no life.
Or so she thinks.
That is, until a mysterious man offers her a way out of having to donate steam. A way to escape the corrupt government of Dome Four. While the offer seems too good to be true, Avery is intrigued.
But when she arrives to her new home, she realizes the grass isn’t any less dead on this side of the fence. Instead, the lies are just hidden better...which means digging deeper.
When Avery enlists the help of her friends to uncover the truth, it may make her wonder if she was better off being a government tool than searching for freedom.
Some secrets are better left concealed, but humankind was never meant to live in a cage. And when you can control the most sought after resource, you can learn to control anything…including the fate of your world.

I read the Steel Lily synopsis and fell in love. So when the author approached me about it in exchange for an honest review, how could I resist? Steampunk is a genre I've wanted to try in a while, and I have to say that Steel Lily was the best introduction book I could have ever imagined.

Fracture by Megan Miranda

Title: Fracture
Author: Megan Miranda
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Released: January 5th 2012
Pages: 261 (Paperback)
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US
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Eleven minutes passed before Delaney Maxwell was pulled from the icy waters of a Maine lake by her best friend Decker Phillips. By then her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead. And yet she somehow defied medical precedent to come back seemingly fine
-despite the scans that showed significant brain damage. Everyone wants Delaney to be all right, but she knows she's far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can't control or explain, Delaney finds herself drawn to the dying. Is her altered brain now predicting death, or causing it? Then Delaney meets Troy Varga, who recently emerged from a coma with similar abilities. At first she's reassured to find someone who understands the strangeness of her new existence, but Delaney soon discovers that Troy's motives aren't quite what she thought. Is their gift a miracle, a freak of nature-or something much more frightening?

I've had Fracture on my TBR list for a long time, but after I read an ARC of Hysteria, I knew I had to get my hands on a copy asap. Hysteria blew me and my expectations away, and with a promising synopsis, I had high hopes for Fracture. Did it meet them? Well, I'm not entirely sure.

Insomnia by J. R. Johansson

Title: Insomnia

Author: J. R. Johansson

Publisher: Flux

Released: June 1st 2013

Pages: 351 (eBook)

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US

Add on Goodreads

Her eyes saved his life.
Her dreams released his darkness.

After four years of sleeplessness, high school junior Parker Chipp can't take much more. Every night, instead of sleeping, he enters the dreams of the last person he's made eye contact with. If he doesn't sleep soon, Parker will die.

Then he meets Mia. Her dreams, calm and beautifully uncomplicated, allow him blissful rest that is utterly addictive. But what starts out as a chance meeting turns into an obsession; Parker's furious desire for what he needs pushes him to extremes he never thought he'd go. And when someone begins to terrorizing Mia with twisted death threats, Parker's memory blackouts leave him doubting his own innocence.

Follow Friday (#24)

Feature & Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read where you meet and follow different bloggers.

Question of the Week: Today’s is the US’ Independence Day. Share your favorite book with a war in it, or an overthrow of the government.

I'm pretty sure the majority of the hop will pick this one, but The Hunger Games still has to be my ultimate favourite. However, I also love Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly, Divergent by Veronica Roth, and Delirium by Lauren Oliver.

So what are your favourite taking-over-the-government reads? Let me know in the comments below, and don't forget to check out the 2nd blogaversary giveaway!

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Title: Daughter of Smoke and Bone
Author: Laini Taylor
Publisher: Hodder
Released: September 27th 2011
Pages: 418 (Hardback)
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US
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"Errand requiring immediate attention. Come."
The note was on vellum, pierced by the talons of the almost-crow that delivered it. Karou read the message. 'He never says please', she sighed, but she gathered up her things.
When Brimstone called, she always came."

In general, Karou has managed to keep her two lives in balance. On the one hand, she's a seventeen-year-old art student in Prague; on the other, errand-girl to a monstrous creature who is the closest thing she has to family. Raised half in our world, half in 'Elsewhere', she has never understood Brimstone's dark work - buying teeth from hunters and murderers - nor how she came into his keeping. She is a secret even to herself, plagued by the sensation that she isn't whole.

Now the doors to Elsewhere are closing, and Karou must choose between the safety of her human life and the dangers of a war-ravaged world that may hold the answers she has always sought.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone was released ages ago, but try as I might, I never seemed to be able to get a copy of it - well, until now. This book is one of the most highly anticipated releases of this decade, and two years later, the hype surrounding it is still thick. Going into it, I wasn't sure exactly what to expect - but what I got was far better than anything I could have dreamt of.

Waiting on Wednesday (#29)

Waiting on Wednesday' is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Acid by Emma Pass

Title: Acid
Author: Emma Pass
Publisher: Random House
Released: April 25th 2013
Pages: 448 (eBook)
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US
Add on Goodreads

2113. In Jenna Strong’s world, ACID – the most brutal, controlling police force in history – rule supreme. No throwaway comment or muttered dissent goes unnoticed – or unpunished. And it was ACID agents who locked Jenna away for life, for a bloody crime she struggles to remember.

The only female inmate in a violent high-security prison, Jenna has learned to survive by any means necessary. And when a mysterious rebel group breaks her out, she must use her strength, speed and skill to stay one step ahead of ACID – and to uncover the truth about what really happened on that dark night two years ago.

I have to admit, it's the cover of Acid that first caught my eye. I love me some badass heroines, so as soon as I saw the girl on the cover, I knew it had to be added to my TBR list. But when I suddenly got a review copy of it? Lets just say I was over the moon with joy. Although the book didn't keep me up at all hours, it was addictive; the plot was thick with incredible twists, and I always wanted to know what was going to happen next.

Book of the Month: June

It's been a long month, especially for me as I've just done a bunch of exams for my GCSEs. Surprisingly, I still managed to read quite a few different books. Some were disappointing, but most were brilliant. Despite me loving A Monster Calls and A Game of Thrones, the winner this month is clear: Crown of Midnight, you beaut, you.

I adored Throne of Glass - the synopsis drew me in, and Maas delivered on her promises. I waited ages for Crown of Midnight to come out, so when I got my hands on an ARC? I was kind of screaming the house down. I started it immediately, and although at first I was a bit worried, it soon turned into the story I
knew and loved.

An assassin’s loyalties are always in doubt.
But her heart never wavers.

After a year of hard labor in the Salt Mines of Endovier, eighteen-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien has won the king's contest to become the new royal assassin. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown – a secret she hides from even her most intimate confidantes.

Keeping up the deadly charade—while pretending to do the king's bidding—will test her in frightening new ways, especially when she's given a task that could jeopardize everything she's come to care for. And there are far more dangerous forces gathering on the horizon -- forces that threaten to destroy her entire world, and will surely force Celaena to make a choice. 

Where do the assassin’s loyalties lie, and who is she most willing to fight for?

It is released August 27th, so go and pre-order yourself one asap! You don't want to be missing this.

Two-Year Blogaversary Giveaway

(gorgeous button made by Eloise Gardner)

I have to admit, it feels a bit crazy to think that I've been running this blog for two years now - it doesn't feel like it at all! To thank everyone who has followed Project Read and Review these last couple of years, I've decided to host another giveaway. The twist? This one is going to be bigger and better than them all!

Rules (the usual spiel):

1. The giveaway will be running from July 1st 2013 until September 1st 2013. It will begin and end at midnight GB.
2. This is an international giveaway - no matter where you are, you can be in with a chance of winning!
3. Initially, there will be one winner. However, if I reach 200 followers on Bloglovin', I'll add another one; if I reach 300, then there will be three winners, and so on.
4. The prize is one book from the options below per person.
5. The winner will be chosen randomly on Rafflecopter.
6. I will announce who has won on September 1st 2013, and will send the book/s out shortly after. If the winner/s don't respond within two weeks, I will choose another winner.
7. Pretty obvious, but no cheating. I will be checking every entry, and any cheaters will be found and disqualified.