My Bookish Birthday Wishlist!

So I’m hitting the big 23 next Wednesday so I thought it would be fun to share with you guys the books that I’m hoping to receive for my birthday. I probably won’t get all of these but I’m hoping for at least one or two of them and I also thought this list would be handy for all of those “what do you want for your birthday?” conversations I can just head all relatives on over here! :) I’d love to know if you guys have read and enjoyed any of these, maybe your comments could persuade someone to choose one book over the other who knows? So if you loved a book or are looking forward to it please say to give my relly’s a nudge in the right direction ;) Anyway here are the books I’m wishing for. It’s also worth noting that Shades of Earth, The Essence and The Archived were also originally on this list but my mum has already snatched them up and I might have received and read one already, ooops! Thanks mum!

Altered by Jennifer Rush 
Currently Available On: The Book Depository and Amazon
Synopsis 
"When you can’t trust yourself, who can you believe?

Everything about Anna’s life is a secret. Her father works for the Branch at the helm of its latest project: monitoring and administering treatments to the four genetically altered boys in the lab below their farmhouse. There’s Nick, Cas, Trev . . . and Sam, who’s stolen Anna’s heart. When the Branch decides it’s time to take the boys, Sam stages an escape, killing the agents sent to retrieve them.

Anna is torn between following Sam or staying behind in the safety of her everyday life. But her father pushes her to flee, making Sam promise to keep her away from the Branch, at all costs. There’s just one problem. Sam and the boys don’t remember anything before living in the lab—not even their true identities.

Now on the run, Anna soon discovers that she and Sam are connected in more ways than either of them expected. And if they’re both going to survive, they must piece together the clues of their past before the Branch catches up to them and steals it all away"

Why I Want It- Four hot genetically altered to perfection boys? Yes please! Plus I've read several good reviews from blogger friends. This one is pretty high on my list!

The Valentine's Card by Juliet Ashton 
Currently Available On: The Book Depository and Amazon  (5 to 9 day dispatch)
Synopsis 
"The Valentine's card was meant to be Orla's fairy tale ending, but really, it was only the beginning . . .

Orla adores her actor boyfriend, Sim, who's away filming a sumptuous costume drama. Although the long-distance relationship means that she can eat toast for dinner and watch as much reality TV as she likes, she misses him like crazy.

But Valentine's Day changes everything . . . The same morning Orla learns that Sim has died, she receives a card from him. As Orla travels from Ireland to London, to live and breathe Sim's final moments, can she bring herself to open the Valentine's card and read his final message?"

Why I Want It- This sounds beautiful yet heartbreaking and I'd really love to have it for my Valentine's Day read.

Splintered by A. G. Howard 
Currently Available On: Amazon 9-12 day dispatch
Synopsis 
"Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.

When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family.

She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own."

Why I Want It- This sounds brilliant but I haven't seen it ANYWHERE it seems to be hard to get hold of which is odd seems as it came out on the 1st :S

Ketchup Clouds by Annabel Pitcher 
Currently Available On: The Book Depository and Amazon 
Synopsis 
"Secrets, romance, murder and lies: Zoe shares a terrible secret in a letter to a stranger on death row in this second novel from the author of the bestselling debut, My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece.

Fifteen-year-old Zoe has a secret—a dark and terrible secret that she can't confess to anyone she knows. But then one day she hears of a criminal, Stuart Harris, locked up on death row in Texas. Like Zoe, Stuart is no stranger to secrets. Or lies. Or murder. 

Full of heartache yet humour, Zoe tells her story in the only way she can—in letters to the man in prison in America. Armed with a pen, Zoe takes a deep breath, eats a jam sandwich, and begins her tale of love and betrayal."

Why I Want It: Another one high on my list, I need to know what Zoe's terrible secret is. Nuff said.

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken 
Currently Available On: The Book Depository and Amazon 
Synopsis 
"When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something alarming enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that gets her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government “rehabilitation camp.” She might have survived the mysterious disease that’s killed most of America’s children, but she and the others have emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control.

 Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones.

When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now she’s on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like her—East River. She joins a group of kids who escaped their own camp. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can’t risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents.

When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader. But there are other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at a life worth living."

Why I Want It: This sounds epic! I've also heard countless times how good Alexandra Bracken's books are.

Those are the books! There’s not really much else I want for my birthday but books are always welcome or Amazon Gift Cards because there are so many February releases I’m craving that I could use them for pre-orders. I’ll of course be doing some kind of haul so you guys can see if I get any of these and remember to shout out your favourites to my relatives in the comments, that should get their attention! ;)

Giveaway for Dance of Shadows by Yelena Black! (UK/ Ireland Only)

Hello lovelies! Today I wanted to bring to your attention an exciting upcoming February release that I am really looking forward to Dance of Shadows by Yelena Black which is being published in the UK on the 12th February by Bloomsbury. This book is being pitched as Black Swan meets Gossip Girl and I can’t wait to read it! And thanks to the publisher I have one proof copy to giveaway to one of my UK readers but in case this book isn’t on your radar yet here’s a little bit more about it…

Synopsis
"Vanessa doesn’t believe that her sister is a runaway. She wouldn’t leave her family behind without saying a word. The only way Vanessa can discover the truth behind her mysterious disappearance is to follow in Margaret’s footsteps, but to do so she risks her sanity and maybe even her life . . .

Vanessa Adler is one of the talented few to get a place at the acclaimed New York Ballet Academy. Between backbreaking rehearsals for the school’s production of The Firebird she desperately tries to find out what happened to her sister before she vanished. There are rumors that the pressure of performing the lead role, the same role Vanessa is now rehearsing for, drove her mad. Other girls have gone missing too. Can the role be cursed? Vanessa’s new relationship with leading-man Zep only seems to complicate things further. What is he hiding from her and can she really trust him?

Black Swan meets Gossip Girl in this thrilling first book in a new series. Sexy, sinister and full of secrets, readers will be hooked on Dance of Shadows from the first page. Look out for the sequel in 2014."

 Watch the stunning trailer! 

You can also like the Facebook page, add to your Goodreads wishlists, or even download the first three chapters for free from Amazon UK to get a taste for the book! For your chance to win simply read these rules and enter the Rafflecopter good luck! 

Rules 

To enter please fill in the Rafflecopter 

Open to UK/Ireland residents only 

End date: January 24th 2013 

Winner will be contacted by email and will have 1 week to reply else another winner will be selected.

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Letterbox Love (17)

Letterbox Love is a meme hosted by Lynsey @ Narratively Speaking for UK based book bloggers to showcase the books that they’ve received each week.

 For Review

Vortex by Julie Cross
Everbound by Brodi Ashton
Ferryman by Claire McFall (Proof Copy)

Don't Want to Miss a Thing by Jill Mansell
The Love Book by Fiona O'Brien
Speechless by Hannah Harrington (Proof Copy)
Reason to Breathe by Rebecca Donovan

 Gifted From Mira Ink 

This week Mira Ink sent me this epic bundle of books and a lovely card for getting into the top ten of the blog ink competition. Because I already review for them I already have most of these but it was lovely to swap over my proof copies for glossy finished ones and the rest I'm either donating to libraries and charities or passing on to people who I think would like them. Thanks guys! This was such an awesome surprise!

New Girl by Paige Harbison
Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry
Confessions of an Angry Girl by Louise Rozett
Here Lies Bridget by Paige Harbison
Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter
The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa
The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa
Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder
Scent of Magic by Maria V. Snyder

From Netgalley

Dare You To by Katie McGarry

That’s it from me for another week! If any of these beauties have caught your eye and you’d like to find out more about them simply click on the title and the link will take you to goodreads for a full synopsis, reviews, and to add them to your wishlists. As always thank you to the lovely publishing folk for the review copies. If you’re looking forward to a certain book in particular and want to request a review feel free to in the comments and I’ll do my best to get around to the book sooner rather than later. And if you decided to do a Letterbox Love, Book Haul, IMM, Showcase Sunday, Mailbox Monday or whatever else featuring the books you got this week leave me a link as I’d love to check out your books too! ^_^

 Happy reading till next time!

Review for Pantomime by Laura Lam

Pantomime by Laura Lam 
Publisher: Strange Chemistry
Release: 7th February 2013
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Rating: 4/5 stars
Source: Received from the publisher for review

Goodreads Summary: 

"R.H. Ragona’s Circus of Magic is the greatest circus of Ellada. Nestled among the glowing blue Penglass – remnants of a mysterious civilisation long gone – are wonders beyond the wildest imagination. It’s a place where anything seems possible, where if you close your eyes you can believe that the magic and knowledge of the vanished Chimeras is still there. It’s a place where anyone can hide.

Iphigenia Laurus, or Gene, the daughter of a noble family, is uncomfortable in corsets and crinoline, and prefers climbing trees to debutante balls. Micah Grey, a runaway living on the streets, joins the circus as an aerialist’s apprentice and soon becomes the circus’s rising star. But Gene and Micah have balancing acts of their own to perform, and a secret in their blood that could unlock the mysteries of Ellada."

Review 
Pantomime is one of the strangest, most fascinating, and daring YA debuts that I’ve read in a while and I mean that in the best possible way. Every time I put this book down I felt like I’d awoken from a peculiar yet wonderful dream as that’s what the tone of this book sets in the fantasy world of Ellada in a circus of magic.

The book is told in alternating perspectives between Micah a training aerialist at the circus and Iphigenia a girl from one of Ellada’s most honourable families. Both of them are hiding a secret that is revealed later on in the book and interweaves these two characters together. This books secret is a brilliant one and makes the book stand apart from other YA books out there. Unfortunately for me I figured out what it was after only a couple of chapters which I must admit took away from the experience a little bit as I do love a good twist. 

As mentioned Pantomime is set in a fantasy world and I thought the world building to this book was excellent. At the beginning of each chapter is an article or old legend about Ellada. I really loved these snippets as they allowed you to find out more about the history and politics of the land as you go along without lots of heavy description interfering with the story which I’m never a fan of. I thought this was really clever and was a brilliant aspect to the book.

Despite being set in a fantasy world Pantomime had a very contemporary feel to it and even with having a circus as a backdrop was very character driven. Every single character in this book has more to them than meets the eye and I loved finding out their secrets and peeling away their layers as the book went on. I loved how emotionally complex this book was and how Laura Lam tackled subjects that other YA authors are afraid to. That being said I’d recommend this book to a mature teen audience simply because this book can be rather dark and brutal at times and requires a mature outlook and approach.

Even though Pantomime was a brilliant read in its own right it felt very much like Laura Lam was setting us up for a fantastic series as not much happens plot wise until the end and this book was all about the world building and character development. From what was hinted at and the way that this book ended I think Pantomime is only a taste of the wonder that is to come from both this series and Laura Lam as an author.

Overall what I loved most about Pantomime was the message that whoever you are, whatever you’ve done, whatever your past. There is a place for you somewhere to belong to with people who will embrace and accept you as you are. Pantomime is a truly unique and wonderful experience that will resonate with anyone who’s ever felt like they don’t fit in.

Review for The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey 
Publisher: Headline
Release: 30th August 2012 (Paperback Edition)
Genre: Adult, Historical Fiction, Fairy-tale, Family
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Source: Received from the publisher for review



Goodreads Summary: 
"Alaska, 1920: a brutal place to homestead, and especially tough for recent arrivals Jack and Mabel. Childless, they are drifting apart—he breaking under the weight of the work of the farm; she crumbling from loneliness and despair. In a moment of levity during the season’s first snowfall, they build a child out of snow. The next morning the snow child is gone—but they glimpse a young, blonde-haired girl running through the trees.

This little girl, who calls herself Faina, seems to be a child of the woods. She hunts with a red fox at her side, skims lightly across the snow, and somehow survives alone in the Alaskan wilderness. As Jack and Mabel struggle to understand this child who could have stepped from the pages of a fairy tale, they come to love her as their own daughter. But in this beautiful, violent place, things are rarely as they appear, and what they eventually learn about Faina will transform all of them."

Review 
Following the roaring success of The Snow Child last winter I knew that I had to make it a priority read this Christmas. From the synopsis it sounded like the perfect book to get me into that magical childlike frame of mind, and I’m so glad that I finally read it because this book was, in a word, enchanting.

The start of the book is really quite heart-breaking with one half of our beloved couple Mabel attempting suicide. Mabel and Jack are so utterly alone in their relationship and are still grieving for a baby they lost years ago and with it their one chance of being parents. The first few chapters are really gutting to read in a beautiful yet fragile kind of way, until in a rare act of tenderness and joy they build a snow girl together during the first snow fall of winter.

The book reads as part adult fairy-tale, part historical fiction on life in rural Alaska during the 1920’s. I have to say that I enjoyed the fairy-tale aspect to this story the most but can see how the setting created the perfect backdrop for this story. At times the solitude and snowy landscape of a wintery Alaska made the place read like a magical land itself.

I think that what I loved most about this novel was how you never really know exactly what Faina is or how she came to be. Throughout the book you’re not quite sure if she is the little snow girl Jack and Mabel built come to life, if she belongs to someone else, or if she’s simply a figment of the couples imagination. I loved the mystery and magic surrounding Faina and although some things are cleared up as the story goes on there is still a lot of room for the reader to interpret the story in their own way.

Reading The Snow Child had the same effect on me as the fairy tales I read and loved growing up did and will be sitting proudly next to the classic fairy tales on my bookshelf. In turns heart-breaking, magical and beautiful this book will awaken the inner child in adult’s worldwide.