Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Title: Throne of Glass
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Released: August 2nd 2012
Pages: 404 (Paperback)
Buy: Amazon

Meet Celaena Sardothien.
Beautiful. Deadly. Destined for greatness.

In the dark, filthy salt mines of Endovier, an eighteen-year-old girl is serving a life sentence. She is a trained assassin, the best of her kind, but she made a fatal mistake: she got caught.

Young Captain Westfall offers her a deal: her freedom in return for one huge sacrifice. Celaena must represent the prince in a to-the-death tournament—fighting the most gifted thieves and assassins in the land. Live or die, Celaena will be free. Win or lose, she is about to discover her true destiny. But will her assassin’s heart be melted?

I stayed up so late last night to try and finish this book. Whilst it was gripping from start to end, the final 100 pages...I just couldn't put it down! I know I can say that a lot, but literally this time, I couldn't put it down. Every chapter ended on a cliffhanger, and just when I said to myself, Okay after I've finished this chapter I will put it down, another mystery was about to be unraveled! I have read many fantasy novels and fairytale retellings, but I have never come across a book as unique and as amazing as this. Maas, where have you been all my life?

NaNoWriMo 2012

I'm sure a lot of you have been seeing this title around quite a bit, especially recently. But what is it? For those of you that don't know, NaNoWriMo is short for National Novel Writing Month, and it is basically a competition to try and write a 50,000 worded novel in the month of November. It occurs every year, and as the time goes on, more and more people join.

Book of the Month: October

So at the beginning of the month, I'd read some good books...but nothing that I absolutely fell in love with. And then, all at once, I read The Iron King by Julie Kagawa, Dance of Shadows by Yelena Black, and Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. I rated all of them five stars - and if I'm honest, I would have given them a lot more if the scale went any higher! Each of them had a very different plot; The Iron King was about Fae living in the Nevernever, an alternative, magical Universe to our own; Dance of Shadows was about ballet, demons, and dark magic; Water for Elephants followed a young man as he ran away and joined a circus. Although they are all so different, I loved them all equally. However, there can only be one book of the month, so I think my final choice will have to be...

Water for Elephants. Why? Well, firstly Dance of Shadows is going to be released in 2013, so is it really fair for it to be my book of the month although it isn't even published yet? And although I rated The Iron King five stars, it just didn't grip me as much as this. And secondly, aside from this being an absolutely amazing novel, today marks the first day of NaNoWriMo 2012 - and Gruen first began writing Water for Elephants for a previous NaNoWriMo, so it seems perfect to include it here.

Although this is an adult novel - and has some pretty sexy scenes - I think it is aimed at people of all ages (well, 14+). I adore circuses anyway, but I think even for people who don't have that connection to the novel, they will still find a way to relate to it. As I said in my review, it isn't just a novel about some circus - or even about the main character, Jacob. For me, it taught me a lot about life, and it did change my perception of things ever so slightly - which is a pretty powerful thing for a book to do. But it did, and I really think this is one of those modern novels that is a must-read for at least once in your lifetime. It is utterly breathtaking.

Cover Reveal (#4)

I was so excited for this cover reveal! I have followed Josephine Angelini's Starcrossed trilogy from the very beginning, and I even managed to get my hands on a proof copy of Dreamless, the second installment. So it is needless to say that I am even more excited about the last release, Goddess, where everything will come to a climax - and if this cover is anything to go by, it should be amazing. Here's the Goodreads synopsis:

After accidentally unleashing the gods from their captivity on Olympus, Helen must find a way to re-imprison them without starting a devastating war. But the gods are angry, and their thirst for blood already has a body count.

To make matters worse, the Oracle reveals that a diabolical Tyrant is lurking among them, which drives a wedge between the once-solid group of friends. As the gods use the Scions against one another, Lucas’s life hangs in the balance. Still unsure whether she loves him or Orion, Helen is forced to make a terrifying decision, for war is coming to her shores.

Why We Broke Up by David Handler

Title: Why We Broke Up
Author: David Handler
Illustrator: Maira Kalman
Publisher: Little Brown Books
Released: December 27th 2011
Pages: 354 (Hardcover)
Buy: Amazon


I'm telling you why we broke up, Ed. I'm writing it in this letter, the whole truth of why it happened.

Min Green and Ed Slaterton are breaking up, so Min is writing Ed a letter and giving him a box. Inside the box is why they broke up. Two bottle caps, a movie ticket, a folded note, a box of matches, a protractor, books, a toy truck, a pair of ugly earrings, a comb from a motel room, and every other item collected over the course of a giddy, intimate, heartbreaking relationship. Item after item is illustrated and accounted for, and then the box, like a girlfriend, will be dumped.

Follow Friday (#14)

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 writing device or trick most irritates you when reading a book?

Oh dear, this will set me off on a rant. I hate hate hate it when author's force love triangles on the reader! Love triangles happen in a lot of different novels, and if they occur naturally, then I'm fine with them. But when authors spend most of the novel with the heroine contemplating on whether to be with the sweet, loving guy who cares so much about her, and the mysterious bad-boy who acts as if he couldn't give two hoots, it really gets on my nerves. Unless it is a trashy romance, novels should have more of a depth to their story than just a girl choosing between two guys.

Another thing that annoys me is when an author attempts to make the reader's believe that their novel is a piece of amazing literary work, when in reality, it isn't that great. A fantastical example of this is Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L.James - I've read it, and I honestly believe she was sat with a thesaurus open on her lap, changing every other word to something that sounds more prestigious. It didn't work.

So - what writing tricks annoy you? Love triangles? Wrong thesaurus use? Leave a comment below!

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Title: Water for Elephants
Author: Sara Gruen
Publisher: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill
Released: May 26th 2006
Pages: 335 (Paperback)
Buy: Amazon

As a young man, Jacob Jankowski was tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. It was the early part of the Great Depression, and for Jacob the circus was both his salvation and a living hell. A veterinary student just shy of a degree, he was put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. It was there that he met Marlena, the beautiful equestrian star married to August, the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. And he met Rosie, an untrainable elephant who was the great gray hope for this third-rate traveling show. The bond that grew among this unlikely trio was ultimately their only hope for survival.

Blog Tour: The Last Witch by Debbie Dee

As soon as I heard about this book, I knew I had to read it. So when the opportunity arose to participate in the blog tour, I just couldn't turn it down! And it turns out I'll be kicking it off too - so let's start this tour with a bang!

About The Author

Debbie Dee recently moved to southern Idaho with her husband and three children where she is learning how to be a country girl in her favorite pair of blue heels. She adores fairy tales and happy endings, but secretly crushes on the bad guy now and then. As a dedicated musician who practices way too much, she never expected writing would sweep her off her feet until she jotted down a scene from a daydream, which turned into two scenes, which turned into a messy house and her first novel. Since then she hasn't been able to let a day go by without writing. Her website is www.debbiedee.com.

Dance of Shadows by Yelena Black

Title: Dance of Shadows
Author: Yelena Black
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Release: February 12th 2013
Pages: 300 (Paperback)
Pre-Order: Amazon

Dancing with someone is an act of trust. Elegant and intimate; you're close enough to kiss, close enough to feel your partner's heartbeat. But for Vanessa, dance is deadly – and she must be very careful who she trusts...

Vanessa Adler attends an elite ballet school – the same one her older sister, Margaret, attended before she disappeared. Vanessa feels she can never live up to her sister's shining reputation. But Vanessa, with her glorious red hair and fair skin, has a kind of power when she dances – she loses herself in the music, breathes different air, and the world around her turns to flames...

Soon she attracts the attention of three men: gorgeous Zep, mysterious Josh, and the great, enigmatic choreographer Josef Zhalkovsky. When Josef asks Vanessa to dance the lead in the Firebird, she has little idea of the danger that lies ahead – and the burning forces about to be unleashed.

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

Title: The Iron King
Author: Julie Kagawa
Publisher: MiraInk
Released: February 1st 2010
Pages: 363 (Paperback)
Buy: Amazon

Meghan Chase has a secret destiny; one she could never have imagined.

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth - that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face; and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

I Am The Messenger by Markus Zusak

Title: I Am The Messenger
Author: Markus Zusak
Publisher: Knopf Books
Released: May 9th 2006
Pages: 357 (Paperback)
Buy: Amazon

Meet Ed Kennedy—underage cabdriver, pathetic cardplayer, and useless at romance. He lives in a shack with his coffee-addicted dog, the Doorman, and he’s hopelessly in love with his best friend, Audrey. His life is one of peaceful routine and incompetence, until he inadvertently stops a bank robbery. That’s when the first Ace arrives. That’s when Ed becomes the messenger...

Chosen to care, he makes his way through town helping and hurting (when necessary), until only one question remains: Who’s behind Ed’s mission?

Banned Books Week

Banned Books Week is a yearly event, where the worldwide book community group together to raise awareness about the censorship of books through celebrating the freedom to read and everyone's right to have access to information. This year, it is has been taking place from September 30th, to October 6th, which is today. So I thought, hey, better late than never to write a post, right?

Now on Ala.org, I managed to find a list of the top 100 most banned or challenged books from 2000 to 2009. Here's the top ten: