Review: Out of The Easy by Ruta Sepetys

Bookish Details:
Pages: 346
Publisher: Philomel Books
Release Date: 12th February 2013

Synopsis:It’s 1950, and as the French Quarter of New Orleans simmers with secrets, seventeen-year-old Josie Moraine is silently stirring a pot of her own. Known among locals as the daughter of a brothel prostitute, Josie wants more out of life than the Big Easy has to offer.

She devises a plan get out, but a mysterious death in the Quarter leaves Josie tangled in an investigation that will challenge her allegiance to her mother, her conscience, and Willie Woodley, the brusque madam on Conti Street. Josie is caught between the dream of an elite college and a clandestine underworld. New Orleans lures her in her quest for truth, dangling temptation at every turn, and escalating to the ultimate test.
With characters as captivating as those in her internationally bestselling novel Between Shades of Gray, Ruta Sepetys skillfully creates a rich story of secrets, lies, and the haunting reminder that decisions can shape our destiny

My Review:
Well, what can I say about Out of The Easy? There aren't words to describe how much I fell in love with this book.

I have a feeling that Ruta Sepetys is going to be one of those authors that every time she releases a book, I will buy it no matter what. She is fast becoming one of my favorite writers.

Out of The Easy is set in 1950s New Orleans. Now, it’s not often that I read historical fiction, but I made an exception for Ruta’s first novel (Between Shades of Gray) and it was a beautiful story, so reading this book was an easy decision for me.

The story follows 17 year old Josie and her life working in a bookstore and cleaning for well-known Madam, Willie, who she has known since she was a little girl. Josie is a fantastic heroine. She is strong and smart and you really feel the struggles that she faces. Her friendship with Patrick and the story between them is written so perfectly. I also love how she is determined not to follow in the footsteps of her mother, sticking to her own ways.

I also adored Willie! She’s definitely one of the most interesting characters I've came across in a while. I love how much she did genuinely care for Josie throughout the story. There were some really heart-warming moments between the two of them.

Each character in this story was captivating to read about. It’s not often I read a book in which all of the characters are so amazing. They are all so unique and they help create a story that will stay with you for a long time.

The pacing of the plot is perfect. Nothing feels rushed within the story and every chapter leaves you needing to read the next one.

What I also really love about this book is that it captures the setting and the time of New Orleans so perfectly, you feel as though you are actually there with the characters.  It has made me want to read more books set in New Orleans, that’s for sure!

I would seriously recommend this book to anyone, even if you don’t usually read historical novels because, trust me, you won’t regret it. It’s like no other book out there. 

Royal Rating:

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Review: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Bookish Details:
Pages: 332
Publisher: Razorbill
Release Date: August 16th 2007

Goodreads Synopsis:St. Vladimir’s Academy isn’t just any boarding school—it’s a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They’ve been on the run, but now they’re being dragged back to St. Vladimir’s—the very place where they’re most in danger...
Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy’s ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world’s fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever.

My Review:

No, I haven’t just read this book for the first time. I read it way before I had a book blog. But with a lot of new fans coming to the series because of the film adaptation, I thought I’d take a little time to post my review on book one of this awesome series.

I didn’t start off thinking it was too awesome, if I’m honest. When I read it the first time around, I was surrounded by so many vampire books that the thought of reading another one made me want bury my face in a pillow. So I don’t think I gave it a fair chance. I read half of it, only half paying attention, and then left it.

But when the last book in the series was about to come out and everyone was getting excited, I started to wonder if I’d misjudged that first book. So I went over to the book shelf, picked up book one and started again. And boy did I regret ever dismissing that book as just another, cliché vampire story.

This book is so much more than that.

Let’s start with Rose, shall we? Rose is not your typical YA book heroine, oh no. She’s feisty, tough and confident. Okay, she’s a little more than confident, sometimes, and that is exactly what I love about her. She is not the kind of girl who stays hiding in the shadows, spending hours analysing every interaction with a guy to work out whether he like her it or not. She’s hot and she knows it. Reading that, you might think that she’d be an annoying character, but she is so not. She is strong, determined, and extremely loyal. She will always stand up for herself.

The story follows Rose and her best friend, Lissa, who happens to be a Royal. The two are much more than friends, however, as they share a psychic bond.  Her and Lissa’s friendship is one of the key points in this story. It isn’t just a story about a romance. Friendship is a strong theme throughout.

But, of course, we do have Dimitri. Tall, gorgeous, Russian guy who is seen as a God. And you can really see why. His relationship with Rose is a difficult one, due to the small facts that he’s seven years older than her and is practically her teacher. Oh, and a relationship between the two of them also happens to be forbidden because they are both Lissa’s guardians.

There is so much action within this story, but there is also the typical high school element to things and I think that Richelle does a perfect job in including all of that into the book.

If you read the title Vampire Academy and, like me, assume that this is going to be just another vampire love story, you are so wrong. Seriously, let this book restore your faith in vampire novels. I promise you that you won’t be disappointed.

Royal Rating:

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Waiting on Wednesday: Awaken

This is a weekly meme hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine. "Waiting on Wednesday" spotlights upcoming releases that i'm eagerly anticipating.

Awaken by Meg Cabot
Release Date: July 2nd 2013

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot, the dark re imagining of the Persephone myth comes to a thrilling conclusion.
Death has her in his clutches. She doesn’t want him to let go.
Seventeen-year-old Pierce Oliviera knew by accepting the love of John Hayden, she’d be forced to live forever in the one place she’s always dreaded most: the Underworld. The sacrifice seemed worth it, though, because it meant she could be with the boy she loves.
But now her happiness — and safety — are threatened, all because the Furies have discovered that John has broken one of their strictest rules: He revived a human soul.
If the balance between life and death isn’t fixed, both the Underworld and Pierce’s home back on earth will be wiped away. But there’s only one way to restore order. Someone has to die.

The final book in the Abandon trilogy by the fabulous Meg Cabot! I'm super excited to see how the story ends for Pierce and John.

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Review: Purity by Jackson Pearce

Bookish Details:
Pages: 218 (Hardcover)
Publisher: Little, Brown Books
Release Date: Aprils 24th 2012

Synopsis:A novel about love, loss, and sex -- but not necessarily in that order. Before her mother died, Shelby promised three things: to listen to her father, to love as much as possible, and to live without restraint. Those Promises become harder to keep when Shelby's father joins the planning committee for the Princess Ball, an annual dance that ends with a ceremonial vow to live pure lives -- in other words, no "bad behavior," no breaking the rules, and definitely no sex.
Torn between Promises One and Three, Shelby makes a decision -- to exploit a loophole and lose her virginity before taking the vow. But somewhere between failed hookup attempts and helping her dad plan the ball, Shelby starts to understand what her mother really meant, what her father really needs, and who really has the right to her purity.

My Review:

Sex is definitely a topic that many YA authors are keen to cover. Ever since Judy Blume’s Forever, there have been many attempts to deal with the issues of sex and virginity in books aimed at teenagers. Sometimes, they’re fantastic at getting messages across in a subtle and entertaining way. Others, not so much.

Purity is a book that I’m still on the fence about. The story follows Shelby, a teenager who is about to make a promise at a Princess Ball to keep her virginity until marriage. As she begins to doubt if this is something she really wants, but not wanting to lie to and hurt her father, she makes the decision to try and lose her virginity before making the promise.

I’m torn about the way the story deals with the issue of Shelby wanting to ‘get sex over with’ and I still can’t decide whether the story gives a positive or negative message to young girls. I like the fact that Shelby can make the decisions that she does, and she is a strong character throughout the story, but I’m not sure whether I agree with the way her story played out.

I loved the characters and I really enjoyed the humour that Pearce puts into the story, I’m just not sure if I like it as a whole. One of the best things about this story is the father/daughter relationship and I think the emotions between those two characters are one of the factors that make the story worth reading. Shelby’s friendships also made me want to keep turning the pages.

Overall, however, I’m not sure where this book fits in. It’s not there to provide factual knowledge to teenagers in the way that stories like Forever do, but it’s not completely hilarious enough to be classed as a comical take on the issues of teen sex.

I’ll give this book a three out of five, but only because there were certain moments in the books that I really loved. If those few moments hadn’t been there, I would have rated it less. 

Royal Rating: 

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The Catching Fire Trailer Has Dropped!

So the trailer for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire has finally been shared with the world. I'm super excited for the film and the trailer is looking awesome so far!



What are you looking forward to most in this film? Is there anything you wish had been shown in the trailer? Let me know!

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Blog Updates

Hi everyone!

Just letting you all know that I won't be posting much over the next month or so. This is because deadline dates and exams are approaching for my final university year (eeek!). I should be back to posting normally again at the end of May.

Thanks for reading! :)

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Cover Reveal: Even in Darkness by Cyndi Tefft

I'm so excited to be able to show you the new cover for Cyndi Tefft's latest book in her series, Even in Darkness!

The cover is gorgeous! I'm super excited to read the book when it's released on April 1st! Make sure to follow Cyndi on Twitter and if you haven't check out her series yet, head over to her website now and learn all about her fabulous books and the book babe that is Aiden McRae.

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Cover Reveal: Midnight by Alexandra Lanc!

I'm pleased to be able to share with you guys the cover for Alexandra Lanc's brand new novel, Midnight!

Midnight

Life has always seemed impossible for IxBryn Rowan, and it's about to get even more complicated.

IxBryn is a Knight Blood, an immortal human rendered by science to bring about harmony between the two races of Earth, the humans and the vampires -- at least, that was the plan. A terrible tragedy occurred, and IxBryn is now the only surviving Knight, hunted for the potency of her blood, which will render any Immortal nearly unstoppable for a time.

With nowhere left to turn, IxBryn makes her way to Variance, the most prestigious and important City on Earth, to stay with her cousin Bristol, the only person alive who truly understands her, and in turn stumbles upon a secret war breeding within the shadows -- a struggle in which she soon becomes the prize.

With danger at every turn, IxBryn may have to learn to rely on those who appear untrustworthy -- even the labeled sociopath Zarrod Kingsbury, an Ancient vampire, and one of the Elite, who has interests of his own.

The first novella in the Knight Blood series, Midnight introduces readers to a parallel Earth, where vampires roam free, fate is never concrete, and where home can be found in the strangest of places.

Midnight ~ Book One of the Knight Blood Novellas

Available March 29th 2013

The book sounds awesome so please make sure you check it out and add it to you 'To Read' list on Goodreads!

About The Author:

Alexandra is a New Adult and Young Adult author who loves writing Fantasy, Science-Fiction, and traditional Horror stories (though she’s known to dabble in Contemporary and Poetry, too). She started writing at a young age, and is inspired by fellow writers (hats off to Eoin Colfer, Ridley Pearson, J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Madeleine L’Engle, and Jeanne DuPrau), her writing friends, and her dreams.
She is currently working on many series and stand-alones, most notably the Snowflake Triplet, her YA Fantasy/Christmas series, the Phantasmagoria Duet, her NA Fantasy series, and of course the new NA novella series the Fleur Passages, later to be sewn into one book, where readers have a say in what happens next through voting!
Alexandra is also an artist (her art is featured on her book covers), and a screenwriter, a Whovian, superhero fan, and all-around geek who loves old videogames. Alexandra lives in Florida, USA, with her family and calico cat, Sanura.

Twitter: @AuthorLanc
Google+: Alexandra Lanc
My Blog: Words of the Worlds
Goodreads: Alexandra Lanc

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Review: Focus by Alyssa Rose Ivy

Bookish Details:

Series: The Crescent Chronicles #2

Release Date: January 23rd 2013

Buy It From: Amazon US - Amazon UK

Goodreads Synopsis:

Freshman year of college is hard even when you're not tied to the future king of a supernatural society.

Allie dives into college head first with Hailey as her roommate and the city of New Orleans as her backyard. As things within The Society heat up, Allie realizes that whether she's with Levi or not, she's in far too deep to turn back.

Book Two of The Crescent Chronicles.

My Review: 

First of all, I’d like to thank Alyssa for giving me the chance to review Focus, her books are always fabulous!

Focus picks up a little while after we left off in Flight. Allie and Hailey are moving into college and attempting to settle into a normal, campus life. But, of course, Allie’s life is far from normal now and having Pterons escort her to every class reminds her. 

After adoring Flight, I had high expectations for Focus. I wasn’t disappointed. Allie is such a fantastic character. I like female characters that are strong and can stand up for themselves and Allie is definitely that. I also love her friendship with Hailey and their two new college friends, Anne and Tiffany. Every good leading lady needs her girlfriends!

Levi was as perfect as ever in Focus. He is definitely on my list of book boyfriends, that’s for sure! For the most part of Focus, Levi is attempting to win back Allie’s affections after the shocking twist that happened in Flight. But of course, Levi is irresistible, so how can Allie hold off his charms? 

I really liked the family dynamics that run through the plot of Focus. Not only do we get to find out more about Levi and his family, but we also get a little bit of Hailey and Owen’s family, as well as Jared’s.

I also enjoyed reading more about Jared in this book. I’m really intrigued by his character and I hope we get to find out a bit more about him and his family. I like how a friendship between him and Allie developed. 

Now, I loved the lead up to the ending of the book. It sets up a perfect plot twist that I definitely didn’t expect! I’m highly anticipating the third book to see what the heck happens next! 

This series has a bit of everything I love in a supernatural story. Focus will totally keep you reading into the night and if you haven’t started this series yet, I suggest you get reading Flight, because it is not to be missed!

Royal Rating:

 

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Book Boyfriends

So, Valentine's day is upon, and I plan on spending the day with the love of my life. My bookshelf.

Yep.

You can't beat a good book boyfriend. Those characters that make you swoon and put the book down for a moment so that you can recover from their awesomeness. Every avid reader has that one (or in my case, many) character that they would happily lock up in their basement if they were really. That's not creepy, right??

I'm going to highlight just a few of the fictional characters that unleash my inner fangirl. Here are my top three Book Boyfriends:

3. Zachary Goode from the Gallagher Girls series. 
Who wouldn't want a super hot, super secret spy as their boyfriend? Zach is one of the most adorable fictional guys and he funny, too. Killer combination. His introduction into the Gallagher Girls series was perfect and he has become one of my most beloved characters. 

2. Jace Wayland from The Mortal Instruments.
I could talk all day about what makes Jace a swoon-worthy guy, I really could. I love his sarcasm and his arrogance, but I also love his sweet, protective side that he shows when he's with Clary. He's a wild child and there's never a dull moment where he's concerned. I love him even more now that he's going to be portrayed by Jamie Campbell Bower. 

1. Jesse de Silva from The Mediator Series
My all time favorite. If I'm honest, I don't think any other fictional character could come close. Jesse was my first fictional love and will probably remain in the top spot on my list of Book Boyfriends. If you don't think a super hot, Spanish ghost haunting your bedroom isn't the best thing ever, then I'm sending you to a doctor. 

Do you know how difficult it was for me to pick just three? Who are your top fictional boyfriends? Let me know!

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