Thursday 27 February 2014

Half Bad Excerpt Blog Tour ~ Part One: Ironing


I'm so excited to be taking part in the Half Bad Blog Tour! I loved the story so much & the book even led to me getting a new job after an event with the author :)

With rights to the book sold in 43 countries and the film rights bought Half Bad is a sensation even before it's publication. It's a stunning debut, a story of survival and the kind of realism that will have you questioning, 'what would I do?'

*This is day four of the tour so if you haven't yet read the first three parts be sure to pop over to the other blogs and get up-to-date with the reveal of part one.*


 
 
 
 
 
part one
 
ironing
 
‘You nearly lost your hand.’
 
It’s lying on the kitchen table still attached to your arm by bone, muscle and sinew that are visible in the open raw groove round your wrist. The skin that used to be there has formed lava-like rivulets, running down to your fingers as if it has melted and set again. Your whole hand is puffing up nicely and hurts like . . . well, like an acid burn. Your fingers twitch but your thumb is not working.
 
‘It might heal so that you can use your fingers again. Or it might not.’
 
She took the band off your wrist at the loch and sprayed the wound with a lotion that dulled the pain.
 
 She was prepared. She’s always prepared.
 
 And how did she get there so quick? Did she run? Fly on a bloody broomstick?
 
However she got to the loch you still had to walk back with her. That was a tough walk.
 
‘Why don’t you speak to me?’
 
She’s right in your face.
 
‘I’m here to teach you, Nathan. But you must stop trying to escape.’
 
She’s so ugly that you’ve got to turn away.
 
There’s an ironing board set up on the other side of the kitchen table.
 
She was ironing? Ironing her combat trousers?
 
‘Nathan. Look at me.’
 
You keep your eyes on the iron.
 
‘I want to help you, Nathan.’
 
 
You hawk up a huge gob, turn and spit. She’s quick, though, and snatches back so it lands on her shirt not on her face.
She doesn’t hit you. Which is new.
 
‘You need to eat. I’ll heat up some stew.’
 
That’s new too. Usually you have to cook and clean and sweep.
 
But you’ve never had to iron.
 
She goes to the pantry. There’s no fridge. No electricity. There’s a wood-burning range. Setting the fire up and cleaning it out are also your chores.
 
While she’s in the pantry you go to look at the iron. Your legs are weak, unsteady, but your head’s clear. Clear enough. A sip of water might help but you want to look at the iron. It’s just a piece of metal, iron-shaped, with a metal handle, old. It’s heavy and cold. It must be heated up on the range to do its job. Must take ages. She’s miles from anywhere and anything, and she irons her trousers and shirts!
 
When she comes back a few seconds later you’re round by the pantry door and you bring the iron down hard, pointed side against her head.
 
But she’s so bloody tall and so bloody fast. The iron catches the side of her scalp and sinks into her shoulder.

You’re on the floor clutching your ears, looking at her boots before you pass out.
Want to keep reading? Go to: www.bookzone4boys.blogspot.co.uk (from 28th Feb)
 
 
Text copyright © Sally Green, 2014 published by Penguin Books
 
 

Image & author bio
taken from the
Half Bad website
SALLY GREEN lives in north-west England with her husband and son. She has had various jobs and even a profession but in 2010 she discovered a love of writing and now just can’t stop. She used to keep chickens, makes decent jam, doesn't mind ironing, loves to walk in Wales even when it's raining, and will probably never jog again. She really ought to drink less coffee. Half Bad is her first novel.
Follow Sally on Twitter!
 
 
 
 
 
 

Saturday 22 February 2014

Stacking The Shelves #85

Stacking the Shelves
Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tyngs's Reviews and is all about sharing the books you are adding to your  shelves, may they be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical stores or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

We love sharing our books with you each week but more importantly we loving see what you add to your shelves.
Clicking on a book will take you to goodreads.
 
Timestorm (Tempest, #3) Bird http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16117624-back-to-blackbrick
Just Like Fate Night Witches Briar Rose  
Tiger Lily Looking at the Stars Don't Look Back
Dreams of Gods and Monsters (Daughter of Smoke and Bone, #3) Red Rising (Red Rising Trilogy, #1) Sing Sweet Nightingale (The Dream War Saga, #1)
 
Timestorm ~ Julie Cross ~ from Michelle @MuchLovedBooks
Bird ~ Crystal Chan ~ unsolicited
Back to Blackbrick ~ Sarah Moore ~ unsolicited
Just Like Fate ~ Cat Patrick & Suzanne Young ~ Publisher
Night Witches ~ L.J. Adlington ~ unsolicited
Briar Rose ~ Jana Oliver ~ unsolicited
Tiger Lily ~ Jodi Lynn Anderson ~ unsolicited
Looking at the Stars ~ Jo Cotterill ~ unsolicited
Don't Look Back ~ Jennifer L. Armentrout
Dreams of Gods and Monsters ~ Laini Taylor ~ netgalley
Red Rising ~ Pierce Brown ~ netgally
Sing Sweet Nightingale ~ Erica Cameron ~ netgalley
 
I've had a brilliant week this week. A fab new job which is just all childrens books so I was able to grab loads of freebies from the staff shelf :) Happy! A big thank you to Michelle from Much Loved Books again this week for Timestorm. I'm really excited to get Dreams of Gods and Monsters this week! So happy with all my amazing new books!

 

Wednesday 19 February 2014

Review ~ Anna and the French Kiss ~ Stephanie Perkins



Anna and the French Kiss (Anna and the French Kiss, #1)

Title: Anna and the French Kiss
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Published by: Usborne
UK Publication date: January 2014
Source: Publisher

goodreads says:

 Anna has everything figured out - she was about to start senior year with her best friend, she had a great weekend job, and her huge work crush looked as if it might finally be going somewhere... Until her dad decides to send her 4383 miles away to Paris. On her own.

But despite not speaking a word of French, Anna finds herself making new friends, including Etienne, the smart, beautiful boy from the floor above. But he’s taken – and Anna might be too. Will a year of romantic near-missed end with the French kiss she’s been waiting for?


I say:
I had heard so much about this book that when I was offered a copy for review I jumped at the chance as I wanted to know what all the hype was about. Unfortunately Anna and the French kiss just didn't hit the right spot for me at all! Let's face it, it's a chick-lit but that's not the problem, we all love a good romance and hot guy but this book just goes round and round in circles. It gets very frustrating.

Anna is a likeable character with the usual things happening like all young ladies and she falls for the hot guy, but the hot guy is taken! St. Clair is the guy everyone wants but he is in a relationship and well, he shouldn't be acting the way he does with Anna if you ask me!! It's simple in my eyes, if you are in a relationship that you are no longer happy in you don't just stay with that person because you 'don't want to be alone'. He likes Anna & Anna like him but there is just do much time wasting done between the two that I was actually getting annoyed.

That said there were some nice moments between the two and some lovely 'non-dates'. And the fact the story is set in Paris is another big plus for me. But other than this there was not much more to the story for me. I really did want to like this book given the hype but I was just 50/50 I'm afraid.

3/5 stars because the story was set in Paris and the author gave us some nice moments.

 

Tuesday 18 February 2014

Review ~ The Name on Your Wrist ~ Helen Hiorns

The Name On Your Wrist
Title: The Name on Your Wrist
Author: Helen Hiorns
Published by: Corgi
Date: January 2014
Source: bought

goodreads says:
It's the first thing they teach you when you start school. But they don't need to; your parents tell you when you're first learning how to say your name. It's drummed into you whilst you're taking your first stumbling steps. It's your lullaby. From the moment it first appears, you don't tell anyone the name on your wrist.

In Corin's world, your carpinomen - the name of your soul mate, marked indelibly on your wrist from the age of two or three - is everything. It's your most preciously guarded secret; a piece of knowledge that can give another person ultimate power over you. People spend years, even decades, searching for the one they're supposed to be with.

But what if you never find that person? Or you do, but you just don't love them? What if you fall for someone else - someone other than the name on your wrist?

And what if - like Corin - the last thing in the world you want is to be found?


Review:
On paper this book is such a good idea but there were too many plot holes for me and a few things that had me thinking what's the point. Like, if the name on your wrist is the person you'll marry then why bother covering your wrist!? If you're dating the name on your wrist then everyone knows, I don't understand the point of keeping the name covered. I know some couples are not 'meant to be' and even they know the name on the others wrist, I just don't know why they need to be kept covered after you're married.

The only thing that shocked me in this book is what Corin did with the name on her wrist. Oh actually, two things that shocked me, the other was what her sister did with the name on her wrist! The ending was a little rushed and made me think that there should be a book 2, there are many unanswered questions in this story!

I believe the author is only 20 and what an achievement to be a published author at such a young age I just feel if she spent a little more time fine tuning this story could have been amazing!


2/5 stars just not for me this one!
 
 

Saturday 15 February 2014

Stacking The Shelves #84

Stacking the Shelves
Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tyngs's Reviews and is all about sharing the books you are adding to your  shelves, may they be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical stores or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

We love sharing our books with you each week but more importantly we loving see what you add to your shelves.
Clicking on a book will take you to goodreads.
 
 
Cabinet of Curiosities: My Notebooks, Collections, and Other Obsessions Cress (Lunar Chronicles, #3) The Arrivals
 Half Bad Out of the Easy Blood Trust: 3 (Jack McClure)
The Vincent Boys: Extended and Uncut (The Vincent Boys, #1) Grave Matters (The Demon Trappers, #4.5)
 
Guillermo Del Toro ~ Cabinet of Curiosities ~ bought
Cress ~ Marissa Meyer ~ bought
The Arrivals ~ Melissa Marr ~ bought
Half Bad ~ Sally Green ~ from publisher
Out of the Easy ~ Ruta Sepetys ~ gift from Bungle
Blood Trust ~ Eric Van Lustbader ~ gift from Bungle
The Vincent Boys ~ Abbi Glines ~ bought
Grave Matters ~ Jana Oliver ~ bought
 
Another lovely book week for us here at Midnight Reads.
Bungle's time at Waterstones came to an end this week, after almost 6 years service she has spread her wings and flown the nest but fear not, her new job still involves books!
This week Bungle treated herself to Del Toro's wonderful and crazy book, it was her leaving present to herself! She also bought copies of Cress and The Arrivals, we all know she's a huge Marr fan. Bungle also received a finished copy of Half Bad on her last day at Waterstones which was rather fitting as this was the book that led to her new job!
Not to be outdone by Bungle Sally got some awesome books too this week. She received to books from Bungle which were Out of the Easy and Blood Trust (thank you B). Having heard so much about those sexy Vincent boys she treated herself and she also got her hands on Grave Matters which is a Demon Trappers Novella. 
So that's our books this week, pretty great wouldn't you agree!?
Now we're off to see what you got, with a cup of tea.
 
 
 
 

Saturday 8 February 2014

Stacking the Shelves #83

Stacking the Shelves
Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tyngs's Reviews and is all about sharing the books you are adding to your  shelves, may they be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical stores or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

We love sharing our books with you each week but more importantly we loving see what you add to your shelves.
Clicking on a book will take you to goodreads.





The Midnight Dress  http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17290345-the-executioner-s-daughter?from_search=true Butter

The Uprising (The Forsaken, #2) Nomad (Swift, #2) http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18065059-who-framed-klaris-cliff

Ignite Me ~ Tahereh Mafi ~ Bought
Cress ~ Marissa Meyer ~ Bought
Into the Still Blue ~ Veronica Rossi ~ Bought
Infinite ~ Jodi Meadows ~ Bought
Panic ~ Lauren Oliver ~ netgalley for review
Forbidden ~ Lori Adams ~ netgalley for review
The Midnight Dress ~ Karen Foxlee ~ won via twitter
The Executioner's Daughter ~ Jane Hardstaff ~ for review
Butter ~ Erin Lange ~ unsolicited
The Uprising ~ Lisa M. Stasse ~ bought
Nomad ~ R.J. Anderson ~ bought
Who Framed Klaris Cliff? ~ Nikki Sheehan ~ unsolicited


So Sally has had a bittersweet week with a whopping four of her favourite series coming to an end at the same time!  Thankfully Another series by Lauren Oliver should help to fill the gap a little and she's acquired another first instalment by Lori Adams which looks as though it might be a nice little warmer for a cold winter's night or two! Bungle did just as well as Sally this week and added another six books to her shelves. She's really excited about all of them and was even more excited to win The Midnight Dress from Hot Key Books via a twitter comp.


Sunday 2 February 2014

Review ~ Bittersweet Magic (A Novel of the Order) ~ Nina Croft


Title: Bittersweet Magic

Author: Nina Croft

Published: 11th November 2013

By: Entangled

Source: netgalley

Note: This book is for readers aged 16 or over.






Synopsis: Roz has been indebted to the demon Asmodai for five hundred years, and her freedom is just around the corner. All she has to do is complete one last task for him—obtain a key that had been hidden in a church centuries ago.


Piers, the Head of the Order and an ancient vampire, is intrigued by the woman who comes to him for help. She’s beautiful and seemingly kind, but she’s hiding something. And he’ll find out who she is and what she really wants once he uses his power to get inside her head. But Piers has no idea that Roz is immune to his mind-control...or that he is simply a pawn in her dangerous mission for freedom.

I must admit I didn't know that this was the second book in a series when I received a copy from netgalley.  From what I've read since there were a few background pointers that might have added some insight into this read but this is a stand-alone book and so I have to say that not having read book one didn't hamper my enjoying this book, because enjoy it I did!

In this story we meet Roz, a 500yr old something (I say something because she doesn't have a clue what she is either). Roz in bound into a contract with Asmodai, a demon who responds to her prayers when the gods turn their back on her leaving her mother to be burnt alive.  In return Roz has to complete thirteen tasks.  We meet her as her last challenge is presented to her, that is to find a key and to return it to Asmodai. It's not long before we find out that Roz isn't the only one after the keys and the other searchers aren't playing nice. Why? Because the key is more powerful than Roz first thought and in the wrong hands it could mean the end of human civilisation as we know it. Enter Piers, Head of the Order and the vamp that Roz goes to for help.  What follows is a search that leads to long lost answer, sacrifice and a heap of lust thrown in for good measure.

I really enjoyed this book and I'm kind of gutted that it is a one-off.  I could quite happily throw myself at another book with these characters.  I love the way they develop through the story.  I mean, you've got witches, demons, vampires and nuns in one book - what's not to like! There's a lot of humour in here as well which is nice and the characters have enough depth that you feel you get to know them.  Whilst everything wraps up nicely, as in all the answers are there and the slate is wiped clean there is the potential for so much more and I want it! 

Now that I've devoured this book I will go back and read the first in the series, Bittersweet Blood. Can't wait to get my hands on a copy!

4/5.  Really enjoyed this read!  This one's a keeper!




Saturday 1 February 2014

Stacking The Shelves #82

Stacking the Shelves
Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tyngs's Reviews and is all about sharing the books you are adding to your  shelves, may they be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical stores or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

We love sharing our books with you each week but more importantly we loving see what you add to your shelves.
 
Clicking on a book will take you to goodreads.
 
The Vincent Boys: Extended and Uncut (The Vincent Boys, #1) The Vincent Brothers: Extended and Uncut (The Vincent Boys, #2) Storm and Stone
Prince of Shadows Stolen Songbird (The Malediction Trilogy, #1) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18048100-oksa-pollock
Dawn of Eden
 
The Vincent Boys ~ Abbi Glines ~ bought
The Vincent Brothers ~ Abbi Glines ~ bought
Storm and Stone ~ Joss Stirling ~ bought
Prince of Shadows ~ Rachel Caine ~ bought
Stolen Songbird ~ Danielle L. Jensen ~ unsolicited
Oksa Pollock The Last Hope ~ Anne Plichota ~ unsolicited
Dawn of Eden ~ Julie Kagawa ~
 
Brill set right!? So Bungle already has The Vincent Boys/Brothers as ibooks but she picked up the paperbacks this week which were just £3 for both books. If you've reads them you know just how hot they are, if you haven't read them GO GET THEM! She also bought the new Joss Stirling as we are big fans of Joss here at Midnight Reads. Another author Bungle loves, Rachel Caine, and she is really excited about Prince of Shadows which is a retelling of Romeo & Juliet from Benvolio's point of view. Stolen Songbird and The Last Hope were both unexpected books this week and Bungle is more than happy as she thinks they sound just fab! Just the one for Sally this week but we know that will change next week! She got Dawn of Eden which is a Blood of Eden short story.
 
Now we're off to see what you got. Happy reading. 
 
 
 
 
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