2012 Reading Challenge Update + 2013 Challenge's

So as you know, I was one of the members that hosted the 2012 TBR Pile Reading Challenge and with December here, it's all coming to a close.  This was my first challenge that I've taken part in and I had a lot of fun. To be honest, I kind of forgot about it halfway through the year. Lol. Anyway, I thought I'd show you how well I did. 

 

My target was 31-40 books - Love At First Sight and I did it!! Yay! I counted up everything and I did 36!!! =) 

 

Please note: Not all my reviews were published on the blog so, some links will take you to Goodreads. 

 

   

* Forbidden by Megan Curd - Review 

* Touch by Jus Accardo -  Review 

* Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi - Review

 * Isle of Night by Veronica Wolfe - Review

   

* Divergent by Veronica Roth - Review

* Raising Demons by Rachel Hawkins - Review

* Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire - Review

* Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L James - Review

   

* Fifty Shades Darker by E.L James - Review

* The Vincent Boys by Abbi Glines - Review

* Wither by Lauren DeStefano - Review

* Some Girls Bite by Chloe Neill - Review

    

* Friday Night Bites  by Chloe Neill - Review

* Hard Bitten by Chloe Neill - Review

*  The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han - Review

* It's Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han - Review

   

* Eternal Starling by Angela Corbett - Review

* Eve by Anna Carey - Review

* Hourglass by Myra McEntire - Review 

* She's So Dead to Us by Kieran Scott - Review

   

* He's So Not Worth It by Kieran Scott - Review 

* Blood Red Road by Moira Young - Review

* Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake - Review

* You Against Me by Jenny Downham - Review

   

* The Boyfriend Thief by Shana Norris - Review

* Overprotected by Jennifer Laurens - Review

* The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern - Review

* Heart on a Chain by Cindy C. Bennett - Review

   

* Finding Home by Lauren Baker - Review 

* Two Way Street by Lauren Barnholdt - Review

* One Night that Changes Everything by Lauren Barnholt - Review

* Shattered Souls by Mary Lindsey - Review 

   

* Captive in the Dark by C.J Roberts - Review

* Whirl by Emma Raveling - Review

* Just Listen by Sarah Dessen - Review

* Stay with Me by Paul Griffin - Review

 

A big thank you Evie @ Bookish for asking me to be apart of this and to all the other girls who took part. 

2013 Challenges? 

Well, I've seen a ton of challenges for next year already and while I don't think I'm going to sign up to any - honestly I'm not sure I have the time but I am planning to set myself some personal targets. I want to have a clear out of the books I've had sitting on my shelf for ages - not quite sure what I'm going to do yet but watch this space. =) 

A Review for You Against Me by Jenny Downham

Posted by Donna
Release Date: December 2nd, 2010

Finished Date: November 27th, 2012

Publishers: David Fickling

Source: For Review 

Format: Hardback

Pages: 413
Buy : Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

If someone hurts your sister and you're any kind of man, you seek revenge, right? If your brother's been accused of a terrible crime and you're the main witness, then you banish all doubt and defend him. Isn't that what families do? When Mikey's sister claims a boy assaulted her at a party, his world of work and girls begins to fall apart. When Ellie's brother is charged with the crime, but says he didn't do it, her world of revision, exams and fitting in at a new school begins to unravel. When Mikey and Ellie meet, two worlds collide. Brave and unflinching, this is a novel of extraordinary skillfulness and almost unbearable tension. It's a book about loyalty and the choices that come with it. But above all it's a book about love - for one's family and for another.

The Review: “When I first saw Ellie, I knew it was her-- she was my fantasy. I didn't want it to be true, but every time I met her it was obvious, and the funny thing was that she was better than the fantasy, like I got more stuff than I'd imagined.”

 had You Against Me sitting on my shelf for a well over a year now and the reason I’ve never read it was because I've just never been  in the mood – until now. I knew it would be a book that would play with my emotions and sometimes I have to prepare myself for a book like that. But after reading it, I’m glad I did because not only was it my first book by this author but You Against Me was quite an emotional read – one that stuck with me for a few days after too. 

With alternative narratives from Ellie and Mickey who will be forever connected. Ellie’s brother is accused of raping Mickey’s younger sister and of course, both families suffer from this story. Ellie gets bullied at school for supporting her brother, while Mickey is looking for revenge. It’s not until Ellie and Mickey accidentally meet one night that things start to unravel. 

I did enjoy this book. What’s so moving about it is, not only do we get the victims story but we get the accused story too. I was intrigued from the start to find out which family was telling the truth and it’s one of them stories that leave you guessing all the way through. It wasn't predictable at all.  Even when the truth is revealed, I found myself sympathising to the other person. It’s a story that tugs on your heart because it’s such a hard subject to deal with but unfortunately for us, it’s a common problem that happens throughout the world – daily. There needs to be more books out there like this because I believe it brings self-awareness to the both parties. 

Ellie and Mickey both suffer a lot but together they bring happiness to each other’s lives. Who would have thought they could make a relationship work, but they do try – even when they think they can’t possibly be together. 

I would have liked to have rated this book more than 3 stars because while I did enjoy it, I just thought the story was a little too long. I found myself losing interest in parts but still, I carried on because I was enjoying the story. I also wasn’t too fond of the ending. I didn’t think the story was resolved in any way, I just wanted everything finalised. Or maybe an epilogue set after the court hearing or 5 years later. But still, despite my 3 star rating it was definitely worth a read. 

Thank you to David Fickling for giving me the opportunity to review this book. 

A Review for Anna Dressed in Blood (Anna #1) & Girl of Nightmares (Anna #2) by Kendare Blake

Posted by Donna
Release Date: August 30th, 2011

Finished Date:  November 23rd, 2012

Publishers: Tor Teen

Source: Gifted (Thank you Haley @ ya-aholic) 

Format: Hardback 

Pages: 316
Buy : Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo 

Just your average boy-meets-girl, girl-kills-people story...

Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead. 

So did his father before him, until his gruesome murder by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father’s mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn’t expect anything outside of the ordinary: move, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he’s never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, but now stained red and dripping blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

And she, for whatever reason, spares his life.

The Review: “She's my purpose and we're going to save each other. We're going to save everyone. And then I'm going to convince her that she's supposed to stay here. With me.” 

For the past year all I’ve heard about is Anna Dressed in Blood and while I’ve always been intuited to read it, I’ve never really had the motivation to do so, well that is until book two – Girl of Nightmares landed on my door step from Tor Teen to review. So yes, there’s the kick up the butt to read it. 

I’ve probably said this before but I’ll say it again, ghost stories for me have always been a little…..bland, I believe there’s only so much an author can take a ghost story – other than Tara Hudson’s Hereafter but still, they just  don’t really appeal to me. And while I think Anna Dressed in Blood is definitely unique and frankly, quite spooky and somewhat scary – but there’s just something about it that stops me enjoying it fully. Maybe it’s because I’m not confident there will be a happy ever after but I’m honestly not sure. 

Anyway, what I did enjoy about this story was Cas. It’s not often that I read a book from a male prospective and Cas was a fantastic lead. He delivers in every possible way and I think this is why I stuck this book out because I do have a habit of giving up on books to easily. He was fun, dangerous, sensitive, determined, hot – everything I like from a male lead. I really enjoyed getting in his head and I loved how even he was unaware of his feelings for Anna until the last minute. It was great discovering his new found feelings he had for her. And then we have Anna, sweet, dangerous Anna. Who wouldn’t be scared of her? I bloody well would be if I came across from her but what happened to her was unbelievably horrible and I felt for her. I’m glad that Cas could connect with her.

Overall, I enjoyed Anna Dressed in Blood. Maybe not as much as I would have liked but still it was enjoyable. 

Posted by Donna

Release Date: August 7th, 2012

Finished Date:  November 24th, 2012

Publishers: Tor Teen

Source: For Review

Format: Hardback 

Pages: 332

Buy : Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo 

It's been months since the ghost of Anna Korlov opened a door to Hell in her basement and disappeared into it, but ghost-hunter Cas Lowood can't move on. 

His friends remind him that Anna sacrificed herself so that Cas could live—not walk around half dead. He knows they're right, but in Cas's eyes, no living girl he meets can compare to the dead girl he fell in love with.

Now he's seeing Anna everywhere: sometimes when he's asleep and sometimes in waking nightmares. But something is very wrong...these aren't just daydreams. Anna seems tortured, torn apart in new and ever more gruesome ways every time she appears.

Cas doesn't know what happened to Anna when she disappeared into Hell, but he knows she doesn't deserve whatever is happening to her now. Anna saved Cas more than once, and it's time for him to return the favor.

The Review: “She crossed over death to call me. I crossed through Hell to find her.” 

After the ending in Anna Dressed in Blood, I ended up picked Girl of Nightmares - which the second and final book the Anna series pretty much straight away. Even though I’m still not sold on ghost stories, I needed to find out how this series would end. 

We’re back with Cas, Carmel and Thomas and once again, I loved them. I think they make a fantastic team, they bounce off one another and their group is full of banter and jokes but it’s a group that can also lean on each other in times of need. Just like Cas leans on Carmel and Thomas when he finds out that Anna isn’t at peace, like he hoped she would be after scarifying herself to save him. So what does Cas do? He decides to open the gates to hell to save Anna as much as he can for someone who’s dead. Scary work! 

I enjoyed the storyline as much as I enjoyed the first book, however I missed Anna because, well she’s locked in hell and she doesn’t feature in the book as much as I would have liked. But when Anna is present, well she doesn't disappoint. Anna and Cas's scenes are great as usual and I felt they really grew - their love stronger than ever. I have to admit, I didn't realise this was only a two part series - which is surprising because nowadays most are trilogies, however it was very refreshing to have everything all wrapped up into two books and I would love to see more like this. 

Now the ending...I'm almost disappointed but I guess you could say the ending was realistic - as much realistic as a ghost story could be. I guess you have to make your own mind up about the ending but I honestly wanted more. But still, I'm glad I picked up this series and I'd definitely recommend it for your ghost fans. 

Thank you to Tor Teen for giving me the opportunity to review this book. 

A Review for Blood Red Road (Dust Lands #1) by Moria Young

Posted by Donna
Release Date: January 4th, 2012

Finished Date: November 14th, 2012

Publishers: Marion Lloyd Books
Source: For Review 

Format: Paperback

Pages: 417
Buy : Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

Saba has spent her whole life in Silverlake, a dried-up wasteland ravaged by constant sandstorms. The Wrecker civilization has long been destroyed, leaving only landfills for Saba and her family to scavenge from. That's fine by her, as long as her beloved twin brother Lugh is around. But when a monster sandstorm arrives, along with four cloaked horsemen, Saba's world is shattered. Lugh is captured, and Saba embarks on an epic quest to get him back.
Suddenly thrown into the lawless, ugly reality of the world outside of desolate Silverlake, Saba is lost without Lugh to guide her. So perhaps the most surprising thing of all is what Saba learns about herself: she's a fierce fighter, an unbeatable survivor, and a cunning opponent. And she has the power to take down a corrupt society from the inside. Teamed up with a handsome daredevil named Jack and a gang of girl revolutionaries called the Free Hawks, Saba stages a showdown that will change the course of her own civilization.

Blood Red Road has a searing pace, a poetically minimal writing style, violent action, and an epic love story. Moira Young is one of the most promising and startling new voices in teen fiction.

The Review: Blood Red Road is one of them books that I have seen all over the bloggosphere for some time now, and truthfully, I was never really interested in reading it. I’m not sure why, I guess it just didn’t appeal to me but luckily for me, the lovely people over at Scholastic gave me the opportunity to read it – so I took and well, I was completely captivated and utterly enthralled with it. 

It’s not often that I read a book that really seems to stand out from all the others I have read. Don’t get me wrong, I have read some amazing books this year – some of which are my favourite but when I look at Blood Red Road, I can really seem the difference. To compare Blood Red Road to other books – well, it you just can't because it is so fantastically unique that it honestly speaks for itself, and yes I’m talking about how this book was written. Who would have thought something like this work?; “We're on our own. An I feel calm. It seems crazy . . . but I'm calm. Because now I see what I gotta do. An what I ain't gotta do, which is waste time thinkin that anybody's gonna help us. That somebody's gonna come along an rescue us. I cain't count on nobody but me.”

See what I mean? But you know what, it works so well. The style of writing Moria Young uses in Blood Red Road is fresh, beautiful and so, so different that once again, this book stands out from all others. I admit, it does take some time to get used to and it may put some people off but once you get the hang of it, it reads like any other book and soon you’ll find yourself not wanting to stop reading. 

Not only is the style of writing a highlight but the characters are too. Saba as the main character, is feisty, stubborn and brutal. She knows what she has to do to survive and she’ll do whatever it takes. At times, it’s was hard to warm to Saba especially during the moments with her younger sister, Emmi but as the book progresses, Saba really changes and in the end, she becomes a very loveable character rather than just a likeable one. I believe the turning point for Saba comes when she meets Jack. She's never really looked at boys before but it all changes when she meets him. He opens her up and really shows her how she is and how mean she is to her sister. However, despite Saba's faults it's clear how much he cares for her. Their romance is a slow one but it's one you constantly root for through-out the book and I'm really looking forward to seeing more of them together in Rebel Heart. 

“Yer in my blood, Saba, he says. Yer in my head. Yer in my breath, yer in my bones...gawd help me, yer everywhere. You have bin since the first moment I set eyes on you.” 

The story itself is full of danger, mystery and scary things that go bump in the night. There's cage fighting, giant worms, bad people and of course, the evil King. Blood Red Road is isn't short of exciting and highly charged scenes and it's definitely very unpredictable. It's safe to say, I'm so pleased I had the opportunity to read this book because I would have been missing out if I didn't, so a big thank you to Hannah at Scholastic! 

A Review for Whirl (Ondine Quartet #1) and Billow (Ondine Ouartet #2) by Emma Raveling

Posted by Donna

Release Date: September 16th, 2011

Finished Date: September 19th, 2012

Publishers: Mandorla Publishing

Source: Bought 

Format: Kindle

Pages: 258
Buy : Amazon UK / Amazon US

Seventeen-year-old Kendra Irisavie is an ondine, a water elemental caught in the middle of an ancient war with the Aquidae, immortal dark demons who will stop at nothing to destroy the fragile balance of the Elemental world.
Fierce and independent, Kendra has always played by her own rules. Gifted with the powerful magic of Virtue and trained to be a deadly fighter, she has spent her life breaking hearts and getting into trouble.
When her life explodes one violent night in a northern California city, a dark stranger appears, promising answers to her mysterious past. Alone and with no one to trust, she must now navigate through a dangerous new world, face the temptations of a forbidden romance, and remain true to her duty and destiny.
All while the Aquidae continue to hunt her down, in the hopes of eliminating her forever…
An edgy YA urban fantasy/paranormal romance, Whirl is recommended for older teens and mature readers due to strong language and mild sexual situations.

The Review:I first heard about Whirl when the author approached us for a review. At the time I was completely booked up so Melanie; the guest reviewer reviewed it for me. She loved it and has been telling me for months to read it and you know what? She was 100% right! 

Whirl is a very unique story. It centre's around water element's and girl named Kendra. Kendra is a strong and independent girl, who has been trained to fight Aquidae; demons, by her mother. When her mother is murdered, Kendra finds herself at a Haverleau; a special school for people like her, where they can learn about their magic. While there, Kendra finds out her mother has been keeping secrets from her, secrets that involve her destiny. Can Kendra really be who everyone claims she is? And can she keep out of trouble to find out?

I loved Whirl. It kind of has the same feel as Vampire Academy did with the settings like going to school, the different gifts but still I still think it's a very unique story, especially surrounding the water elements aspects. It's not one I've ever read about and finding out about Ondine's, Selkies and the many other people was really fascinating. 

What I loved about this book was it was so damn unpredictable, Kendra is such a rash character that rushes to do stuff before she thinks, you just honestly don't know what she's going to do. But that's a good thing because it leaves you guessing through the whole book. I loved how she didn't take no crap and always spoke her mind. She's a very feisty and fierce character and I really loved her. Another character I loved was Tristan. Oh wow, how he manages to steal you're heart from the very first few pages. 

The only small problem I had and I say VERY small problem, was trying to pronounce some of the names. I found it quite hard and it did take me a few tries to get it right - which I still don't think I got right in the end. I think it would make it easier on the readers if the author had a pronunciation guide to go at the start of the book, like she does with the knowledge guide at the back of the book, but other than that, I loved this book and I think everyone should read it!

Posted by Donna

Release Date: July 5th, 2012

Finished Date: September 2012

Publishers: Mandorla Publishing

Source: Bought

Format: Kindle

Pages: Unknown 
Buy : Amazon UK / Amazon US

It has been six months since ondine Kendra Irisavie arrived in Haverleau, the hidden capital of the water elemental world.
Six months since she discovered her destiny as the sondaleur.
Six months since a series of devastating events left behind their mark. 
Now, as she enters the chevalier elite program in her final year at Lumiere Academy, Kendra continues forward on her prophesied journey against the Shadow. Obsessed with what she must do to keep those around her safe, she struggles to balance her powerful magic and the demands of her fate with the challenges of friendship, the complications of romance, and the bonds of family. 
Meanwhile, the threat of the Shadow looms larger. Kendra and her friends investigate a series of puzzling human and elemental disappearances in the city of Lyondale and uncover a horrifying tactic used by the Aquidae in the war.
When danger strikes close to home, Kendra must separate the truths from the lies and choose who and what to believe. 
Even if it means facing what she fears the most.

The Review: I dived into Billow as soon as I finished Whirl because, well after that ending who wouldn't? I was dying to know what would happen next to Kendra and the gang and of course, I was hoping and praying for more Tristan time.....sigh....I do love him! 

Anyway, author Emma Raveling did a fantastic job with this fantastic sequel. In Billow we see the strong and independent Kendra struggle. After the loss of a friend, she's mourning but to everyone else, she's trying to keep her head above water. She throws herself into trouble to try and forget her pain and not only that, she's trying to forget about the one man that seems to have touched her heart - the problem is, she can never have him. Things are already looking glum for Kendra, but when the evil Aquidae start kidnapping children and adults, Kendra knows she needs to try and put a stop to this and soon her journey begins......

This book was little bit more emotional for me because of the journey Kendra took. It was pretty clear of how much she was struggling to deal with her feelings and I just wanted someone to come along and make everything better for her. And I wanted that someone to be TRISTAN! I'm telling you, the author really does like to keep us readers in suspense when it comes to their relationship and it's killing me. But I do love it. They have beautiful and intense moments together and you can really see how strong they would be together as a couple. However, they obstacles they have to get through and worse than ever. The author throws a huge twist in the end making us believe there is no hope for them....but I have faith.....they belong together so I'm sure she will make this work for them...somehow. 

The storyline was exhilarating, suspenseful and thrilling. There's so many engaging scenes too that leave you sitting on the edge of you're seat and by the end of this book, your'll only be wanting more! I for one, can not wait to read more by this talented author and I am eagerly awaiting news on Crest - book three in the series's release date.