What I've been watching lately

So I've just come to realize that I haven't made a post in quite a while. I think its because I've been tired a lot recently from work, and that I've been reading a lot and becoming abnormally obsessed with catching up on a lot of TV shows. I thought I'd share with you what I've been watching recently if you're interested. The primary focus for this blog is books but I really want to just talk about anything really: books, TV shows, movies, general life stuff. So here goes. 1. The Walking Dead - watched seasons 1 through 4

I'm probably way late onto the bandwagon with this one. It is already a hugely popular show worldwide and has a massive following and after watching the firs four seasons I can definitely see why. The storylines are so gripping and you are just dying to know which characters are going to survive until the next episode. The stories of every character is usually so fast-paced that each episode is over barely after it began. I definitely love Glenn, Michonne and Daryl the most, although there are few other not-so-nice characters that definitely make the show tense and entertaining to watch. 2. Poldark - watched episodes 1 through 3 of season 1

I've only seen three episodes of Poldark but already I can see why it is so popular, in the UK at least. And yes it is popular for reasons other than a shirtless Aidan Turner (although I'm not complaining!) The story takes place in Cornwall in the 1700s where Ross Poldark (Aidan Turner) returns from war in America to reconnect with his old family and make new friendships with others, including local girl Demelza (Eleanor Tomlinson) There is definitely a sense of class struggle between families like the Poldark's and other characters such as Jud, Prudie and Demelza who are all of a lower class. Being the book nerd that I am, I am also in the process of reading the first book in the saga, Ross Poldark which I am immensely enjoying. If you enjoy historical dramas then I definitely recommend both picking up the book and seeing the TV show. 3. Once Upon a Time - watched seasons 1 through 4

It feels as though I've been watching Once Upon a Time for ages now. I just love how the writers really flesh out the fairytale characters we all know and turn them into "real people". Its perfect for pretty much anyone who writes fanfiction for things like Cinderella and The Little Mermaid and there is no shortage of handsome guys (see Captain Hook and Robin Hood for starters). Everything from The Wizard of Oz to Frozen is covered so if you like all things fantasy and fairy tales, then you should definitely jump on the bandwagon.

Michelle Moran Winner Giveaway

So a couple of weeks ago I hosted a giveaway for two people to win a signed copy of Rebel Queen by Michelle Moran and some Indian bangles. I'm pleased to announce that 2 winners have been chosen and their names are listed on the giveaway widget on the blogs homepage. If you are a winner please send your full name and address plus postal/zip code so I contact the author and your prizes can be sent out. If you have not won you will receive signed bookplates by the lovely author by using this link below! Congratulations to the winners and happy reading! :) Link for the runners up to win signed bookplates: http://www.michellemoran.com/books/rebelqueen/bookplate.html PLEASE NOTE: If I don't hear back from the winners within a week of posting this, I will select another winner so please send me your contact info as soon as possible if you are a winner. Thank You.

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#FridayReads - 30/01/2015

So I haven't posted a #FridayReads post on this blog before so I thought I would start doing it so people can see what I'll be reading throughout the weekend. It mainly happens on YouTube but I thought it would be simpler for me to write it down rather than talk about it in front of a camera. Anyway, this week I'm in the middle of two books. The library book I'm currently reading is Splintered by A. G. Howard, and its sort of a retelling of Alice in Wonderland, which is pretty interesting. Also, it has a beautiful cover which is so detailed and imaginative. The other book is All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill, and I'm really enjoying this one. Its about time travel, the writing is really addictive and the storyline is keeping me hooked and turning the pages which is always a good thing. If you do a #FridayReads post on your blog or YouTube channel, then leave it below and I'll be sure to check it out. Happy Reading! =)

Book Review - Nefertiti by Michelle Moran

Nefertiti by Michelle Moran

Published: 2007

Publisher: Quercus

Format: e-book

Length: 528 pages

Summary from Goodreads:

Nefertiti is one of the world’s greatest legendary beauties. Seen through her sister’s eyes, she is vividly brought to life in this heartbreaking story of celebrity, ambition, love and loss.

At the tender age of fifteen, Nefertiti marries Akhenaten, the Prince of Egypt, her dreams coming true as she rises to fame and fortune. Bathed and decorated by a team of body servants, her natural beauty is enhanced until she becomes mesmerizing. She is soon the darling of the people and her husband’s closest confidant.

But when her husband breaks with a thousand years of tradition, defying the priests and the military, it will take all Nefertiti’s wiles to keep the nation from being torn apart. She’s prepared to sacrifice her sister to strengthen her power and this act will lock the two women in a feud that only death can break.

Review:

This book was definitely an interesting and intriguing one for me to read. I had never before read anything to do with Ancient Egypt, and I had only heard of Cleopatra so it was definitely fascinating to get a glimpse into what life would have been like for an Egyptian royal. I really felt Michelle Moran’s vivid descriptions of the Egyptian palace and surroundings took me back in time to Ancient Egypt, where I was a fly on the wall, listening to all the conversations and sitting in an Egyptian audience chamber.

As for the plot, the story is told by Mutnodjmet, Nefertiti’s younger half-sister who follows her sister to the palace and lives by her side as she and her husband Akhenaten rise to power and win the people of Egypt’s love.

Mutnodjmet or Mutny as she is often referred to in the book was an easy character for me to root for and engage with. She does not desire a life in the limelight as her sister does, and is easily content with living the quiet life, tending to her garden and searching for love.

In a way, the contrast between Mutny and the power hungry Nefertiti, reminded me of sisters Mary and Anne Boleyn, from The Other Boleyn Girl; especially Akhenaten and King Henry VIII both being powerful kings who had a short temper.

The book also gave a fascinating insight into the politics and religion of Ancient Egypt. The people of Egypt are used to worshipping a god called Amun, and become quickly angry when Nefertiti and Akhenaten announce they are giving up supporting Amun in favour of worshipping the sun god, Aten. This aspect of the story gave the book a really dramatic turn and gave more conflict for the two sisters as they both try and live their lives and struggle with the conflicts that are increasingly risin.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes a good story, is interested in learning more about Ancient Egypt, or to anyone who enjoys an entertaining historical novel.

Bout of Books 10.0 Readathon

So I have decided to take part in the Bout of Books Readathon 10.0 which has been getting a lot of talk on Booktube. I previously tried this readathon but didn't do that well so I'm hoping that this year I can do better and get through some of my TBR books that need to be read. I have decided to set myself the following goals:

1. To finish or round up a series that I currently own the last book of. For this I have decided to read Outside In by Maria V. Snyder, the last book in her Insiders series that comes after Inside Out. I really enjoyed Inside Out when I borrowed it from the library a few years ago. Seeing as its so long since I read the first book I thought I might as well try and finish the series and see how it ends, especially as it only has 2 books in the series and it is fairly average in size so I should get through it pretty quickly. The edition I own has 326 pages.

2. To read a dystopian book. I have plenty of unread dystopian books on my shelves, and many of them are firsts in series that I haven't even started yet so I figured I might as well try a new one and see if I want to continue with the series.

3. To read a classic. For this I have decided to read Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen, as I own the majority of her novels and I have only read Pride and Prejudice by her, so I thought I would try a short one of hers and see how it compares to P & P.

4. To read a standalone novel. For this I have decided to read If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch which is a fairly recent release and something that I've been wanting to read for a while.

So these are the goals I have set myself. I hope I can read all the books I have mentioned. If you are participating then please let me know in the comments what your goals are and what books you plan to read and good luck! Happy Reading!

12/05/2014
Book Currently Reading:If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch
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13/05/2014
Book Currently Reading:If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch
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14/05/2014
Book Currently Reading:If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch
Pages Read:Read from page 112 to 205

15/05/2014
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16/05/2014
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17/05/2014
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18/05/2014
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Readathon Wrap Up:
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Book Review: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell – Book Review

Author: Rainbow Rowell

Published: 2014 (UK)

Publisher: Pan Macmillan

Format: Paperback

Length: 459 pages

Summary from Goodreads:

A coming-of-age tale of fan fiction, family and first love.

Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan…

But for Cath, being a fan is her life – and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely out of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words…And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?

Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?

And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

Review:

I initially picked this book up because of all the hype surrounding it and I guess I wanted to jump on the Rainbow Rowell bandwagon as everyone seems to love her books. I also wanted to read more contemporary novels and this one seemed right up my street.

I really liked Cath, the main character. I felt I could relate to her as I am quite an unsociable person and have troubles meeting new people and talking to people that I don’t know well. I personally haven’t written much fan-fiction in my life but I think it definitely shows how much love a person can give a certain book or series. (There are definitely some that I fangirl over – a lot).

I liked the twin dynamic between Cath and Wren – her full name is Cather and I had never heard that name before and I thought it cool how their names went together. (You’ll have to read Fangirl first though to figure it out)

Wren is the opposite of Cath – being that she likes to flirt, party and drink a lot and pretty much make the most out of the university experience. Cath even is dismayed that Wren cut most of her hair off without telling her as opposed to having long hair like Cath.

My favourite part of the book was definitely any scene that had Levi in it. He was definitely my favourite character; he was just such a sweet, kind and considerate guy and I just loved how he and Cath fell in love. I just want to find my own Levi in real life now! Haha.

I also liked the aspect of Cath and her fan-fiction writing and how each chapter started with an excerpt from a Simon Snow book – as I said previously Cath really reminded me of myself and how I am quite a socially awkward person. It was really refreshing to see how she expressed herself through fan-fiction, but with the help of Levi learned how to talk to and meet people in the real world.

Reagan was also a cool, snarky character that was quite outspoken and who wasn’t afraid of letting Cath know how it was; I really admired her feistiness and how she was different to Cath; she’s definitely someone I wouldn’t mind being friends with in real life.

I really enjoyed Rainbow Rowell’s writing – the story just flowed and she really has a way of creating flawed characters that you can’t help but root for and become attached to – I will be definitely be purchasing all of her other titles, especially since I haven’t read Eleanor & Park by her yet.

March 2014 To Be Read Pile

I am going to start doing TBR's and trying to stick to them. I need somethingto motivate my reading so hopefully I'll get through a lot of these this month (at least then I'll be able to a buy a few more :D )

March to be read pile – 5 books maximum

·        The Kingmaker’s Daughter by Philippa Gregory (Cousins War series) – I really enjoyed watching the television show The White Queen which is based on Philippa Gregory’s Cousins War book series. The series follows key female characters that were a part of the Wars of the Roses in England in the 1400s. The Kingmaker’s Daughter focuses on Anne Neville, the daughter of Warwick the ‘Kingmaker’, who put king of England of the time King Edward III on the throne. I am a really big history geek and love learning about royal families of the past. Before watching the TV show I hadn’t heard of any of the historical figures so I like to read historical fiction book based on these historical figures to try and get a glimpse of what life may have been like for them in the time period. I’m not even 100 pages into this yet which is really bad so I need to get a move on before I can move onto another book :P

·        If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch – The plot of this book sounds really interesting and intriguing to me. The tagline is “What happens in the woods stays in the woods” which immediately makes me wonder what is going to happen in the story. I have skim read the first few pages and the writing style almost reminds me of Blood Red Road by Moira Young (one of my favourite books ever check it out :D) so that gives me high hopes. This cover is quite cool, the way you can see lots of yellow trees and 3 yellow figures dotted throughout which must represent the characters.

·        Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers – I’m going to be honest. I’ve tried to read this book before but I just couldn’t get past the first few chapters – I just think I wasn’t in the mood to read historical fiction at the time but I’m willing to give it another go as a lot of people seem to like it. It definitely has an interesting concept – assassin nuns - that just sounds so funny when I think about it. Anyway I hope I will enjoy it the next time around.

·        The Beautiful and the Cursed by Page Morgan – this book sounds pretty good – it is about two sisters and their mother moving to Paris after learning their brother has gone missing. I’m definitely interested in any book that’s set in Paris – it looks like an amazing city to visit and I’m really intrigued by the story. I haven’t heard a whole lot about it either so I’m going in with not a lot of expectations.

·       Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor – I started reading this book last month but struggled to get through it a bit – I feel a bit bad because I know the book and its sequel are very hyped up and a lot of people love them. Parts of it are good for me and other parts are okay;  I’m not saying I dislike it but I hope it picks up as the book goes along as I would really love to become addicted to the series like everyone else.

Reading Wrap up - February 2014

So I haven't done a reading wrap up since late last year (eek!) but I am trying to get back into blogging and will be trying to post more regularly. So here goes!

I feel so ashamed to say that I only read a grand total of ONE book for the whole of February (hangs head in shame). But in fairness it was 911 pages long so cut me some slack? :P The book I read was A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin which was AMAZING. The man just has such an addictive writing style, the characters are so vindictive and awful at times, and you just never know what is coming up around the corner. It didn’t even feel as though I was reading a 911 page book though; it was so good and action packed I just flew through it and could hardly stop reading it. As soon as my book buying ban is over I will definitely be grabbing the rest of the books in the Song of Ice and Fire series – I need to know what happens in Westeros next – now J

Bout of Books Read-a-thon 9.0

I have decided for the first time in a while to participate in a read-a-thon, and having never done the Bout of Books read-a-thon before I thought I would give it a go this year and see how many books I get read by the end of it. I hope to read and finish The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead which I am currently reading but after that I really don't know what I'll pick up next! I will leave a link to the Bout of Books blog so anyone else can sign up to the read-a-thon. I will most likely post updates and my overall progress on here, Goodreads and my twitter which is @Loobylu91. Good luck to anyone who is participating :)

Link to the sign up post on the Bout of Books blog: http://boutofbooks.blogspot.co.uk/

Book Review: A Bargain Struck by Liz Harris

Publisher: Choc Lit
Published: 2013
Format: Paperback
Length: 314 pages
Summary from Goodreads:

Widower Connor Maguire advertises for a wife to raise his young daughter, Bridget, work the homestead and bear him a son.

Ellen O’Sullivan longs for a home, a husband and a family. On paper, she is everything Connor needs in a wife. However, it soon becomes clear that Ellen has not been entirely truthful.

Will Connor be able to overlook Ellen’s dishonesty and keep to his side of the bargain? Or will Bridget’s resentment, the attentions of the beautiful Miss Quinn, and the arrival of an unwelcome visitor, combine to prevent the couple from starting anew.

As their personal feelings blur the boundaries of their deal, they begin to wonder if a bargain struck makes a marriage worth keeping.

Set in Wyoming in 1887, a story of a man and a woman brought together through need, not love.

Review:

In a way, reading this book slightly reminded me of the time I watched the movie Oklahoma!, which is an old musical film about people living in the late 1800s/early 1900s America, particularly in the southern regions, hence the title.

The characters in this book lived in a very small, tight-knit community, the sort of small place where everyone knows everybody else’s business. Connor Maguire, the main male character of the book owns a farm deep in the Wyoming countryside, and has a young daughter, Bridget. He is also a widower who is still mourning the death of his wife and Bridget’s mother.

Ellen O’Sullivan, the other main character, is also a widow, and bears the scar of an accident that claimed her late husband’s life. The two characters come together as Connor needs someone to raise his daughter and help him run his farm, or homestead as the way it is described in the book.

There are also other characters in the book such as Oonagh Quinn, who becomes friends with Ellen, and Connor’s brother Niall, who shakes the farm up when he comes to stay.

Although I’ve read a few books that are set in the 1800s, I haven’t read anything set deep out in the countryside of America, particularly somewhere that sounds like it could be the setting of an old Western movie. The subplot involving Connor’s daughter Bridget was also intriguing; she and Ellen don’t get on at first and she is quite rude to Ellen regarding her scar, but I can certainly understand why a recently bereaved child would act that way towards a strange woman, and nowadays similar situations arise regarding children and their step-parents, so I applaud the author for highlighting an issue that still goes on in modern society.

I was intrigued as to how people led their lives back then, especially people who didn’t live in big cities, and small communities like the one that the book is set in. I found Connor and Ellen pretty likeable characters. I’m still not able to get my head around the fact that people could just advertise for wives in those days and women willingly married people they don’t know. However, as mentioned above it was very interesting to learn about how things worked in that part of America in those times and how simple were the lives that people led.

I would read more books like this as it seems like an interesting sub-genre to write about.

September 2013 Reading Wrap Up - I will try and avoid spoilers!

Hi everyone. So I've decided to start doing wrap up posts on this blog. It has been a little dead recently so I thought I'd start sharing my thoughts on the books I have been reading. So here goes...

1.    Plague (Gone #4) by Michael Grant

This book was amazing. Michael Grant clearly has such a vivid imagination. He must sit in a room and think of all the weird, bad things that could happen to a bunch of teenagers and kids and apply them all to this series, because I couldn’t believe some of the stuff that was happening! I definitely liked Diana more in this book. She and Caine are initially introduced as antagonist’s but I actually felt sorry for her quite a bit in this book and some of the events regarding her character surprised me. Toto was also a new character for this book and I found him quite humorous – he has a power for knowing if people are telling the truth or not and it was quite funny to see him wind up the other characters with his powers. Overall, this book was definitely a 5 star book.

2.    The Madman’s Daughter (Madman’s Daughter Trilogy #1) by Megan Shepherd

This book had been on my wishlist for a few months so when I saw it brand new and really cheap in a local book shop I knew I had to pick up a copy. I hadn’t read the classic book that this book is based on – The Island of Dr. Moreau by H. G. Wells so I didn’t know how I would feel about the book. I thought that the book started off quite eerie and was impressed by the first couple of chapters, and when Juliet, Edward and Montgomery arrived on the island. Unfortunately, although there were some creepy scenes I didn’t feel as scared as I thought I would when initially read the synopsis. Saying that, there were some twists toward the end that I did not see coming so I must applaud the author for that. I may pick up the second book, Her Dark Curiosity, when it comes out, as I am still intrigued as to what will happen next.

3.    Fear (Gone #5) by Michael Grant

This book picked straight up from where Plague left off, with Perdido Beach still reeling from the bug attacks. Drake grows even more menacing (if that’s even possible!) and Astrid also changes. Overall I really enjoyed the story and character development, especially with Diana towards the end. I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars.

4.    Light (Gone #6) by Michael Grant

This was the final book in the epic Gone series and ever since I ordered it I was almost climbing the ceilings whilst waiting for it – I had to know how it ended and if the kids terror would ever be put to an end. All I can say it was a mind-blowing conclusion and I am still thinking about everything that happened in the book. It’s definitely the freakiest book yet and I cannot recommend this series enough to every one of every age. 4 out of 5 stars.

In conclusion, I feel I have had an extremely good September reading month, and look forward to reading some more horror eque and spooky books for the month of October. I will probably make a separate post about it so stay tuned! Happy reading :)

Book Review: The Reluctant Bride by Beverley Eikli

Publisher: Choc Lit

Published: 2013

Format: Paperback

Length: 353 pages

Summary from Goodreads:

Can honour and action banish the shadows of old sins?

Emily Micklen has no option after the death of her loving fiancé, Jack, but to marry the scarred, taciturn, soldier who represents her only escape from destitution.

Major Angus McCartney is tormented by the reproachful slate-grey eyes of two strikingly similar women: Jessamine, his dead mistress, and Emily, the unobtainable beauty who is now his reluctant bride.

Emily’s loyalty to Jack’s memory is matched only by Angus’s determination to atone for the past and win his wife with honour and action. As Napoleon cuts a swathe across Europe, Angus is sent to France on a mission of national security, forcing Emily to confront both her allegiance to Jack and her traitorous half-French family.

Angus and Emily may find love, but will the secrets they uncover divide them forever?

Review:

Aside from Pride and Prejudice, this is my second foray into regency romance and I thoroughly enjoyed Beverley Eikli’s novel of secrets and spies. There are quite a few authors who write regency romances, and as I got sent The Reluctant Bride for review, I was intrigued and excited to how my first experience with a modern author would be like.

Thankfully, I was engrossed by the story the second Emily and Angus agree to marry each other. I know I would certainly be a ‘reluctant bride’ if I were in Emily’s boat; if situations such as these were the norm back then I wonder how many women actually married for love. Angus was definitely a sweetie and sounded like the perfect kind of guy a girl could marry back then.

Emily Micklen comes from a wealthy family and is shocked to find out her fiancé Jack has been killed in battle. As she is pregnant, she and Major Angus McCartney, who delivers the news, agree to marry each other, as it would be the most convenient way of settling the situation.

Angus and Emily grow closer as they spend more time together, and the both uncover secrets about people close to them.

I found the writing style really easy to understand, although at time I was a bit slow to catch up on all the details of Napoleon, I guess it’s because I don’t know that much about the French Revolution and everything that followed, but still, I will probably read more books about it now. Ms Eikli lets you sympathise with the characters and thankfully I liked both Angus and Emily a lot.

In conclusion, I thoroughly enjoyed my foray into regency romance, and will definitely check out more books by the author and more works in the genre in the future.

Book Review: Beneath an Irish Sky by Isabella Connor

Published: 2013
Publisher: Choc Lit
Length: 414
Format: Paperback
Rating: 4/5 stars

Summary from Goodreads:

Jack Stewart thought he’d put the past behind him. On the surface, he has everything success, money, a big house and is never short of an attractive woman by his side, but a tragic accident shatters Jack’s world.

Raised an Irish Traveller, Luke Kiernan hasn’t had it easy, and when he wakes up in a Dublin hospital to find the man he’s hated since childhood at his bedside, he’s hungry for revenge. Two very different worlds collide, bringing new dangers, exposing past deceits and unearthing dark family secrets buried long ago. But from tragedy springs the promise of a fresh start with two women who are intent on helping Jack and Luke mend their lives.

Can new love heal old wounds, or are some scars there for good?

Review:

Beneath An Irish Sky was quite a different book for me to review. I don’t usually read books that have family secrets and things like that in them so it was definitely a refreshing read. I also hadn’t read anything about Irish travellers; the only knowledge I have of them is from watching Big Fat Gypsy Weddings which was quite a fascinating insight into their community.

I really connected with Luke as one of the protagonist’s; I couldn’t believe Jack’s parents reactions to him. How could anyone behave so vile and insensitive to a young guy who has just lost his mother? They were complete judgmental snobs and I didn’t feel anything for them throughout the entire book.

I can somewhat understand at where the people in the close community of Baronsmere were coming from; travellers in general don’t  appear to have the best of reputations, so I was interested in learning more about the community.

Luckily, I really warmed to Luke and Annie, although the latter is dead (this isn’t a spoiler as it is mentioned she died on the back cover), my heart broke whenever I read about Luke reminiscing about he and his mother’s time together, and the bond they shared.

We also get to hear from Jack Stewart, Luke’s father who doesn’t know he has a son until his estranged wife dies, and it’s a struggle for him and Luke to have an easy going father-son relationship, and they have plenty of disputes.

Luckily, I quite liked Jack, although I could understand why he acted the way he did with regards to the Luke situation; he just found out he has a 20 year old son and is unsure how to act around him, they most likely weren’t going to bond with each other straight away. I also really warmed to Emer, an Irish counsellor who is a friend to Luke and becomes Jack’s love interest; she just has a warm, caring personality and it was a pleasure reading about her and Jack’s relationship grow as the book went on.

Books that tend to have family secrets don’t tend to draw me in, but this one gradually did and has made me want to read more so I can get a feel for the genre more. I recommend it to anyone who likes reading about family secrets and small communities, as it is really an interesting story in that way, and really delves into culture and class differences well. 

New England Rocks by Christina Courtenay - Review

Publisher: Choc Lit

Published: 2013

Length: 202 pages

Format: paperback

Rating: 4/5 stars

Summary from Goodreads:

When Rain Mackenzie is expelled from her British boarding school, she can’t believe her bad luck. Not only is she forced to move to New England, USA, she’s also sent to the local high school, as a punishment. Rain makes it her mission to dislike everything about Northbrooke High, but what she doesn’t bank on is meeting Jesse Devlin. Jesse is the hottest guy Rain’s ever seen and he plays guitar in an awesome rock band! There’s just one small problem, Jesse already has a girlfriend, little miss perfect Amber Lawrence, who looks set to cause trouble as Rain and Jesse grow closer. But what does it matter? New England sucks anyway, and Rain doesn’t plan on sticking around. Does she?

Review:

This is my second time reviewing a book from Choc Lit and I really enjoyed New England Rocks. This was my first Christina Courtenay book, but it definitely won’t be my last, as I really found her writing style easy to read and engaging. At first, I wasn’t sure how I felt about Rain; she was a little bratty and I wasn’t sure if I would warm to her, but after a few chapters I really started to like her and her ‘don’t care’ attitude. I certainly wouldn’t be brave enough to join an all-boys sports team like she did.

It was also really fun watching her and the American characters bond, especially with the culture clash, her being from the UK, and the American characters not understanding her British slang most of the time. I also really loved her and Jesse as a couple. He was just so sweet and perfect sounding and their relationship was really fun to read about as they grow closer and begin to fall for each other. I don’t think I can find a single fault with Jesse; he was just great in every way!

Although I could tell where the story was heading pretty quickly, I definitely enjoyed the ride and Rain is definitely a fun rebellious character, other girls in YA need to become more like her!

Overall, I look forward to reading more in this series and Christina Courtenay’s other novels.

Diantha Jones - Author Interview

Here I got the chance to interview the lovely Diantha Jones, as part of my stop on the blog tour for her book Prophecy of the Most Beautiful (which is a really great, mythology based book, by the way!) 

1.   . Hi Diantha, I really enjoyed Prophecy of the Most Beautiful. Where did you get the idea for the story?
I really wanted to create my series around the Oracle of Delphi because after months of research, I realized she was very under-represented in literature. It only seemed natural that each book be about a different prophecy, which I then connected to a larger prophecy. Sounds like a lot, and it is. But trying to solve the prophecies is half the fun of the series, I think.

2.    What’s your favourite Greek myth?
I get asked this question so much and my answer is always the same. The love story of Cupid and Psyche. It's so cute :D

3.    Would you ever consider writing books based on other mythology?
Who says I'm not already considering it...It's a definite possibility, is what I'm saying.

4.    Have you seen many movies that involve Greek mythology?
Of course! I loved “The Lightning Thief” which is based off of the Percy Jackson series. I'm really excited for “Sea of Monsters”. Then I've seen “Clash of the Titans” and “Wrath of the Titans” which were major disappointments unfortunately. “Immortals” was total garbage, so overall my mythological cinematic adventures have not been awesome.

5.    If you could spend the day in the life of one Greek god or goddess, which one would you choose and why?
Probably Aphrodite, or Zeus. Aphrodite because she's the goddess of Love and I'd love to see how many men I could make bow down in the span of 24 hours. Zeus because I love being in charge and it would be fun to be king for a day.

6.    What are your top hobbies?
Besides writing, reading for sure. But I love to watch movies and television. Two shows I absolutely adore are Supernatural and Sons of Anarchy. They're both amazing. Online shopping is also fun, but I have to control myself because I can get a little crazy sometimes.

7.    Who is your favourite character in Prophecy of the Most Beautiful?
Chloe is my favorite character, though I am Team Strafford :) I feel she's a lot like me (though some things are different). But we're both protective of those we love and would do anything for them. Chloe can also get tough when she needs to, which is the same for me. Though I'm probably tough when I don't need to be too.

Thanks Luce!

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