{Review} My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories by Stephanie Perkins

Posted by Donna
Release Date: October 9th, 2014
Finished Date: December 24th, 2014

Publishers: Macmilliam Children's Book
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Romance, Holiday
Source: For Review
Format: Hardcover

Pages: 355

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

If you love holiday stories, holiday movies, made-for-TV-holiday specials, holiday episodes of your favorite sitcoms and, especially, if you love holiday anthologies, you’re going to fall in love with MY TRUE LOVE GAVE TO ME: TWELVE HOLIDAY STORIES. 

On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me ... 

This beautiful collection features twelve gorgeously romantic stories set during the festive period, by some of the most talented and exciting YA authors writing today. 

The stories are filled with the magic of first love and the magic of the holidays.

The Review: Ever since I received My True Love Gave to Me I've been dying to read it. But like many others, I decided to read it closer to Christmas for the festive feeling and what a fantastic idea it was. 

My True Love Gave to Me features twelve stories wrote by twelve different authors. With some authors I was already familiar with some of their previous works but some, I had never heard of. And while most stories were easy enough to read and pleasantly enjoyable, there were a few little gems that stood out and really left me wanting more of the story - I'm not sure that's supposed to happen with anthologies, but hey, it did....but here are my favourite's........

Midnights by Rainbow Rowell;
What a perfect way to start this book. Midnights by Rainbow Rowell is a cute read - one that has a wonderful set of characters. Noel and Mags relationship is clear from the very start of their story. It's a relationship that continues to grow throughout the years of their friendship and it's clear to see when things become that little bit more to each of them. I really enjoyed the little chapters giving us details of their past New Years Eve's together and the countdown was fun to read too. You know it's a good story when you're left wanting more once you've finished. 

Polaris is Where You'll Find Me by Jenny Han;
This has to be my favourite from the story. I really loved Natty and I really felt for her situation. With Natty living with elves in the North Pole and her adopted father being Santa Claus, this story was simply refreshing to read. Something different. Something new. Something I've never read before. Even though I did wish for that little bit more towards the end of Natty's story, I remained hopeful that she got her big wish. Another well done for Jenny Han! 

It's a Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown by Stephanie Perkins;
Simply perfect! A sweet and cute story that although was a little too long is still fully enjoyable. The way the romance is told in the story is very unexpected but once it happens, you can't help but want to hold on to it. It's about two characters coming together and helping each other out. 

In all, My True Love Gave to Me has a good mixture of different stories to keep readers entertained and will bring your spirits up for the holidays. Definitely a great pick to read over the holidays. 

3.5 flowers!

Thank you to Macmillan Children's Books for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review. 

INFINITYGLASS by Myra McEntire Giveaway (US only)

Infinityglass (Hourglass #3) by MyraMcEntire
Release Date: August 6th, 2013

Publishers: Egmont USA

The stakes have risen even higher in this third book in the Hourglass series.

The Hourglass is a secret organization focused on the study of manipulating time, and its members — many of them teenagers -­have uncanny abilities to make time work for them in mysterious ways. Inherent in these powers is a responsibility to take great care, because altering one small moment can have devastating consequences for the past, present, and future. But some time trav­elers are not exactly honorable, and sometimes unsavory deals must be struck to maintain order.

With the Infinityglass (central to understanding and harnessing the time gene) at large, the hunt is on to find it before someone else does.

But the Hourglass has an advantage. Lily, who has the ability to locate anything lost, has determined that the Infinityglass isn't an object. It's a person. And the Hourglass must find him or her first. But where do you start searching for the very key to time when every second could be the last?

Hello lovely followers!! 

So, the countdown to the August 6th release of INFINITYGLASS has begun and each Tuesday Myra will be posting a new quote from the book on her newly launched Hourglass tumblr page. If you want to check it out here's the link;  
http://hourglassseries.tumblr.com/

And here's the first INFINITYGLASS Notable Quotable of the Week:

INFINITYGLASS Notable Quotable of the Week Fun Fact:  

While researching INFINITYGLASS, Myra took 1000's of photographs on her trip to New Orleans, including a photo of the wallpaper in the legendary Bourbon Orleans Ballroom.  Not only did this wallpaper wind up on the cover of INFINITYGLASS, it's also the background of this week's Notable Quotable!

You can now see this week's notable quotable to be released on Myra's tumblr page!

Giveaway details! 

* One lucky follower will win a one copy of INFINITYGLASS and an INFINITYGLASS poster

* US only - Sorry everyone else! 

* Ends August 1st, 2013

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Bio: 
Myra McEntire knows the words to every R&B hit of the last decade, but since she lives in Nashville, the country music capital of America, her lyrical talents go sadly unappreciated. She’s chosen, instead, to channel her “mad word skills” into creating stories.

She’s an avid Doctor Who fan and will argue passionately about which incarnation is the best. 

http://www.myramcentire.com

A Review for Timepiece (Hourglass #2) by Myra McEntire

Posted by Donna
Release Date: June 12th, 2012

Finished Date: August 28th, 2012

Publishers: Egmont USA

Source: ARC, For Review 

Format: Kindle 

Pages: 336
Buy : Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

A threat from the past could destroy the future. And the clock is ticking...

Kaleb Ballard's relentless flirting is interrupted when Jack Landers, the man who tried to murder his father, time slips in and attacks before disappearing just as quickly. But Kaleb has never before been able to see time travellers, unlike many of his friends associated with the mysterious Hourglass organisation. Are Kaleb's powers expanding, or is something very wrong?

Then the Hourglass is issued an ultimatum. Either they find Jack and the research he's stolen on the time gene, or time will be altered with devastating results. 

Now Kaleb, Emerson, Michael, and the other Hourglass recruits have no choice but to use their unusual powers to find Jack. But where do they even start? And when? And even if they succeed, it may not be enough...

The follow-up to Hourglass, Timepiece blends the paranormal, science fiction, mystery, and suspense genres into a nonstop thrill ride where every second counts.

The Review: “I'm a bad ass. A bad ass who bakes when he's depressed.” 

I'm still trying to decide between a 2.5 rating or a 3 because I really have mixed feelings on this book and here's why.

When I finished Hourglass, I immediately dived into Timepiece because I was looking forward to seeing what was next in store for Emerson & Michael, so you can imagine my surprise when I start reading, only to find out that Timepiece is actually told by Kaleb and not Emerson, like before. Ahhh! Now I like Kaleb, but a whole novel from his point of view in my opinion....just didn't work. 
After getting used to Emerson in the first book, it took a while to get into the story told by Kaleb and it was a big risk by the author to do and yes, it was something different that not many author's do, and even though so many people loved it, I just didn't think it worked. I kept expecting something important to happen that couldn't have been told by Emerson....and it just didn't happen. I think this story would have been better by alternative point's of view from Emerson and Kaleb but the main problem for me is now I'm not to sure IF I will read the third book. I think it all comes down to who will be the narrative. If it's Emerson or Michael....definitely, I'll read it, but if it's any other character....I'm really not sure. 

Anyway, the story itself was okay. I enjoyed being back in the time travel world and I loved finding out new details but I found myself lost in places. There was a lot of details about Chronos and Duronium etc, but the main thing was, I didn't really care for Kaleb....so I felt more than disconnected to this book. I liked him in Hourglass, he was the troubled best friend who was cheeky and funny but getting into his head wasn't as good as I would have expected. He has a lot of issues, family problems, girls etc... and it just got a bit tired some but he is funny guy so that was a highlight of the book. His relationship with Emerson it just weird, I understand she listened to him but is that really enough to fall in love with someone? Especially when that someone is dating you the guy whose like your brother? I don't think so, and I just didn't understand the connection they shared. Now Kaleb and Lily had potential, I liked Lily and I loved that she stood up to Kaleb and all his bull crap, but their relationship just felt rushed. He went straight from pining over Emerson straight to Lily and I'm not sure I 100% believe in their relationship. 

Overall for me, this story being told from Kaleb's point of view just didn't work and I'm disappointed with it. Now while I can't knock the author for trying something different, I was hoping for something more and I just don't think the author delivered it and of course, this played a huge factor in my rating. Don't hate me Hourglass fans but it just didn't work for me! 

A Review for Hourglass (Hourglass #1) by Myra McEntire

Posted by Donna
Release Date: June 14th, 2011

Finished Date: August 27th, 2012

Publishers: Egmont USA

Source: Gifted 

Format: Hardback 

Pages: 390
Buy : Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

One hour to rewrite the past . . . 

For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn't there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents' death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She's tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.

So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson's willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may also change her past.

Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he's around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?

The Review: “I love you - broken in pieces, whole, however. No matter what the future brings, no matter what was in the past.” 

3.5 stars! 

I've had Hourglass sitting on my shelf for well over a year now after Haley from ya-aholic gifted it to me - so thank you Haley! It's one of them books that I've just never got around to reading - even though it sounds amazing, but luckily I managed to snag book two - Timepiece, off of NetGalley for review and so my opportunity to read Hourglass finally arrived. 

I went into the story not really knowing what to expect. I've heard good things about it but not really what the general story line was....so when I finally got started, I was surprised to find out what it was. First I thought, "ummmm a ghost story, that should be interesting" but to my surprise, it wasn't a ghost story at all but a time travel story. I haven't had much experience with time travel except with Unravelling by Elizabeth Norris - which I loved, and Tempest by Julie Cross - which I didn't like, so I didn't really know if I was going to enjoy this but again, it surprised me because I really did enjoy it.

Hourglass is a very unique book, one that is surrounded by a lot of mystery. Our main character Emerson, has had a rough time, losing her parents, being committed due to seeing strange things and most of all talking to people who aren't really there. Without the help from Michael, Emerson really wouldn't know what's going on but while he explains some stuff to her, she knows he's still keeping secrets...so this is where the mystery comes in. As a reader the author really keeps you on you're toes and keeps you guessing all the way through, and the story is not without exciting twists and turns. 

What I enjoyed about this story so much was the relationship between Emerson and Michael, it was very lovable and just makes you swoon. They do have a lot of trials ahead of them and I can't wait to see more from them and hopefully see more of their relationship in the next book. 

All in all, Hourglass was a fun read, I wouldn't say it was amazing but I'm reaching for book two as we speak and I'm hoping it will be just as good, if not better than this.