Pen to Paper

Girl, Missing by Sophie McKenzie Review

2012-02-27T23:24:00.003Z

Girl, Missing by Sophie McKenzie

Series: Girl, Missing #1
Pages: 282
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Release date: 4th August 2011
Buy: Book Depository | Amazon UK | Amazon US (Kindle) | Waterstones

Goodreads synopsis:

Lauren has always known she was adopted but when a little research turns up the possibility that she was snatched from an American family as a baby, suddenly Lauren's life seems like a sham. How can she find her biological parents? And are her adoptive parents really responsible for kidnapping her? A family trip to the US gives her the chance to run away and try and find the truth. But the circumstances of her disappearance are murky and Lauren's kidnappers are still at large and willing to do anything to keep her silent...

The first thing that I think needs to be said about this book, is that it is fairly obviously aimed at the early-to-mid teenage group. It is certainly not at the higher end of YA genre. But all the same, it makes a nice, easy read, if that is what you want.
The book was on a borderline between two different star ratings for me, but I chose to go with the slightly lower, simply because of the fact that the writing is a little juvenile for my liking. However, it has to be said, it does have an interesting plot. The line that the story took was not convincing, and it didn't seem as though many parts of it could have taken place in reality, but it was fairly absorbing, and the important thing is, that it kept me engaged enough to have read the vast majority of it in one sitting - and the entire book in less than a day. This is a fairly good achievement in itself, especially considering that I don't usually have the time to sit and read for so long in one day. Perhaps this showcases just how much of an easy, light read it is?

I thought that the dialogue used by the younger characters could have been better. Obviously I am no longer a teenager myself, but I don't recall having ever spoken in the way that the characters in the book do, nor do I remember having heard others speak in that way. It seems to me, as though the dialogue has been taken straight out of an American teen movie. In other words, it is unrealistic, obvious that it is an adult attempting to impersonate a teenager, and ever-so-slightly stereotypical.
My final problem with the book is that, although the plot was interesting, and I enjoyed the story, I didn't feel as though it went deep enough into things for my liking. Maybe this was just because it is aimed at a younger teenage audience, and the author fears that perhaps more detail would put the readership off, but it could have edged its way into the 4 star category, had it just gone even a little deeper.

This all sounds a little too negative though. I want to highlight again, that I did find it a fairly entertaining and interesting read. I'll also point out that I am interested in continuing on with the series - at least reading the second book - whether or not I will make it to the third (which is coming out in September in the UK), I'm unsure, but we'll see.

There is not a lot more that I can really think of to say about this novel. It hasn't made a great deal of an impression on me, but it was a nice one to read on a lazy day, when my brain needed a break from my University work.
As I've said, I was caught between two different ratings for this one, but it just didn't quite make it up into the 4 stars.
But I do recommend it as a quick, light read - just nothing to get enormously excited about.

If I Die by Rachel Vincent Out now

2012-02-27T12:53:00.001Z

Out earlier this month from Mira Ink...

If I Die by Rachel Vincent [Soul Screamers #5]
Synopsis (provided by Mira Ink):

Teen banshee Kaylee is living on borrowed time, and that time is running out...

Still reeling from their last clash with the Netherworld, things hit rock bottom when Kaylee discovers her name has appeared on a reaper’s list, scheduling her to die within a matter of days! But while her friends are expecting her to break down in hysterics or rail against the injustice of her fate, Kaylee has other plans in mind.

When Kaylee discovers that the new teacher at her school is in fact an incubus, set on impregnating high-school girls with his demon children, she makes it her final mission to put a stop to him. But while Kaylee is distracted from her impending death by rescuing her female classmates, those who love her are determined to find a way to save her, no matter what the cost may be...

This thrilling fifth instalment in the Soul Screamers series was released on February 3rd in the UK, and is now available for purchase from UK bookshops, and online at the following retailers and more:

Want to read more? Click here

Cinder by Marissa Meyer Review

2012-02-26T23:48:00.001Z

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Series: Lunar Chronicles #1
Pages: 400
Publisher: Puffin
Release date: 5th January 2012
Buy: Book Depository | Amazon UK | Amazon US | Waterstones

Goodreads synopsis:

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth's fate hinges on one girl... Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She's a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister's illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai's, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world's future.

Cinder is a truly unique novel, and original take on the classic Cinderella fairy tale. I had expected to quite enjoy it, but no where near as much as I found I actually did!
I'll start with Cinder herself. She was such a well-rounded character, that I found myself relating to her almost immediately, and by the time I'd read a few chapters, she seemed so real, and so alive, that the story also became real. There are mysteries surrounding Cinder's character, however, that I had guessed fairly early on in the novel - I even wrote them down as predictions - and I was proven correct in both instances. So the so-called 'twists', to me, were fairly predictable. But this, it has to be said, was set up by the pages of the story that I had already read, and was not an entirely predictable route for the story to take - and it certainly didn't detract from my enjoyment of it.
That Cinder is a cyborg is also a fairly unique idea - certainly at the moment. Obviously cyborgs are not an original concept - but I personally haven't read a novel that contains one before (not that I can remember, at least), and I thoroughly enjoyed learning about Cinder, and what it might be like to be her. Her character was written in such an exceptional way, that this was not difficult to imagine.

The world that Meyer built up around Cinder was another incredible exhibition of skill. New Beijing was a detailed and complex setting. It had everything - a history, a monarchy, a cultural background - all of this, and more, made it come alive. It becomes easy to smell the sweet, baked goods in the market, the engine oil, hear the children playing in the market place. In places, it is definitely an evocatively described place.
The one thing that irritated me about the world that Meyer has created - and I realise this is trivial, but it got under my skin a little - was the name of the British monarch. If Queen Camilla isn't stereotypical, I'm not sure what is! Like I said, trivial, but I felt the need to mention it. There are plenty of typical English names that could have been used, without stereotyping quite like that. Enough said on that though!

I was incredibly impressed with this novel, as you can tell. To take an already well-known story, that has already been reproduced countless times, over centuries, and still manage to make it unique and exciting, is a feat worthy of congratulations!
I recommend this to all fans of science-fiction, fantasy, YA fiction and of course, Fairy Tales!
I will look forward to the next in the series!

In my Mailbox #20

2012-02-26T12:32:00.000Z

This week, I've behaved myself pretty well! The only physical book that has come into my home has been one that I won from another blog's giveaway.
I wonder how long this will last before I start buying ridiculous amounts of books again?
*not mentioning the books I have pre-ordered*

Physical books: Won

Sister, Missing by Sophie McKenzie: I won a signed copy of this one from the blog, Page Turner. I won it without realising that it was a second in a series, so last week, as you may have noticed, I bought the first one, Girl, Missing, so that I can read both of them. They look like they might be nice, easy reads, but still interesting. Hopefully my expectations are fulfilled!

eBooks: Bought

Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes: This is one of the TV book club reads for this season, and although I don't have time to read the books along with the series, I do still want to read this one - especially now that my close friend, Gemma from Passion for Novels, has recommended it to me! I'm looking forward to reading this one!

Paw Tracks in the Moonlight by Denis O'Connor: This one was on the Kindle Daily Deal yesterday for 99p, and after downloading and reading the sample, I decided that it would probably be worth the read. It sounds like a really sweet little story (which, by the way, is apparently true, as it's classed as biography).

eBooks to Review: NetGalley

Kill Me Softly by Sarah Cross: I got this one from Egmont USA from NetGalley to review. Fairy tales coming to life seems to be becoming a trend at the moment (I'm already currently reading Cinder by Marissa Meyer). I hope this will prove to be just as good!

What came in your mailbox this week? Let us know in the comments below!

Friday Recommends #21

2012-02-24T10:02:00.001Z

Follow Pen to Paper as host of the meme.
Please consider adding the blog hop button to your blog somewhere, so others can find it easily and join in too! Help spread the word! The code will be at the bottom of the post under the linky.
Pick a book that you've read, and have enjoyed enough to recommend to other readers. It can be a book you've read recently, or a book you read years ago - it's up to you - but make sure you tell us why you love the book (like a mini review). You make the post as long or as short as you like.
Add your blog to the linky at the bottom of this post after posting your blog post.
Put a link back to pen to paper (http://vogue-pentopaper.blogspot.com) somewhere in your post.
Visit the other blogs and enjoy!

Night Road by Kristin Hannah

Goodreads synopsis:

For a mother, life comes down to a series of choices.
To hold on…
To let go..
To forget…
To forgive…
Which road will you take?

For eighteen years, Jude Farraday has put her children’s needs above her own, and it shows—her twins, Mia and Zach—are bright and happy teenagers. When Lexi Baill moves into their small, close knit community, no one is more welcoming than Jude. Lexi, a former foster child with a dark past, quickly becomes Mia’s best friend. Then Zach falls in love with Lexi and the three become inseparable.

Jude does everything to keep her kids safe and on track for college. It has always been easy-- until senior year of high school. Suddenly she is at a loss. Nothing feels safe anymore; every time her kids leave the house, she worries about them.

On a hot summer’s night her worst fears come true. One decision will change the course of their lives. In the blink of an eye, the Farraday family will be torn apart and Lexi will lose everything. In the years that follow, each must face the consequences of that single night and find a way to forget…or the courage to forgive.

This book, even though I read it over half a year ago, still leaves me with such a mixture of emotions. I don't think any other book has effected me quite like this one.
The story is a really good one, and definitely worth reading - this is why I'm recommending it to you all. It's really interesting, and the characters are so well-developed that you immediately sympathise with them. This is where my warning comes in. This is an extremely upsetting read, and it's because you sympathise with the characters so easily, that it's this sad. The first half of the novel is fine, really really enjoyable, as you get to know all of them, their lifestyle etc. The second half of the novel, I'd prescribe a box of tissues and a tub of ice-cream - it's going to be a tough ride.
Definitely a recommended read though - I doubt you'll be sorry you read it!

Young Adult Paranormal Activity Giveaway Hop International

2012-02-23T21:08:00.000Z

This giveaway is hosted by Kathy at I am a Reader, Not a Writer. You can click HERE to view the other participating blogs in this giveaway hop.

So, it's time for another exciting international giveaway hop at Pen to Paper. You know how excited I get when I get the chance to run these giveaways for all of you! I really appreciate all of my followers, so these giveaways are a wonderful way to be able to give back to you all for being so great!
First of all, I'll lay down some rules & guidelines, and then I'll let you know what's up for grabs!

You must be a follower of Pen to Paper via Google Friend Connect to enter. I will require you to leave your exact GFC follower name in the Rafflecopter. If you have a fairly generic follower name, I would ask you to leave the URL to your follower profile so that I can identify you more easily.
I withhold the right to disqualify any entries from those who are not a follower of the blog - this is the wonderful followers of Pen to Paper, afterall, so become one of them :)
There is one initial entry for following Pen to Paper, and then extra optional entries. These are obviously not mandatory, but they could mean the difference between you winning, or someone else taking the prize!
There will be one winner for this giveaway, who will choose one book from the list provided below.
As I order prizes from The Book Depository, I cannot be held responsible for any books damaged or lost in transit.
Please do not leave your email address in the comments of this post. I use Rafflecopter in order to protect your personal information. Make sure this is the only place that you put your email address.
This giveaway will end on February 28th at 23:59 EST.

Now for the fun part: the prizes! The winner will get to choose their prize book from the list below - you can also click on each image to view the goodreads page for each and read the synopsis:

Now all that's left to do is make sure you're a GFC follower and get yourselves entered through the Rafflecopter! Good luck to all of you!

Read more »

Wishlist Wednesday #24

2012-02-22T00:00:00.000Z

Wishlist Wednesday is a book blog hop where we will post about one book per week that has been on our wishlist for some time, or just added (it's entirely up to you), that we can't wait to get off the wishlist and onto our wonderful shelves.

So what do you need to do to join in?

Follow Pen to Paper as host of the meme.
Please consider adding the blog hop button to your blog somewhere, so others can find it easily and join in too! Help spread the word! The code will be at the bottom of the post under the linky.
Pick a book from your wishlist that you are dying to get to put on your shelves.
Do a post telling your readers about the book and why it's on your wishlist.
Add your blog to the linky at the bottom of this post.
Put a link back to pen to paper (http://vogue-pentopaper.blogspot.com) somewhere in your post.
Visit the other blogs and enjoy!

Don't Expect Magic by Kathy McCullough

Goodreads synopsis:

Delaney Collins doesn't believe in fairy tales. And why should she? Her mom is dead, her best friend is across the country, and she's stuck in California with "Dr. Hank," her famous life-coach father—a man she barely knows. Happily ever after? Yeah, right.

Then Dr. Hank tells her an outrageous secret: he's a fairy godmother—an f.g.—and he can prove it. And by the way? The f.g. gene is hereditary. Meaning there's a good chance that New Jersey tough girl Delaney is someone's fairy godmother.

But what happens when a fairy godmother needs a wish of her own?

This sounds, admittedly, a little odd, but I think it also sounds fairly interesting - something that's not quite been done before. There are other, similar things, but they're not quite on this level. So if it's written well, it should be a pretty fun read.
Hopefully I will be getting this when I have a little more room going spare on the bookcase. I'll be interested to see what the author's done with it!
(But if you decide you now want it, you can click the book cover to go to the Book Depository ;P)

Heat Stroke by Rachel Caine Review

2012-02-21T21:32:00.001Z

Heat Stroke by Rachel Caine

Series: Weather Warden #2
Pages: 389
Publisher: Allison & Busby
Release date: 23rd June 2008
Buy: Book Depository | Amazon UK | Amazon US | Waterstones

Goodreads synopsis:

I contain a spoiler. If you have not read the first in this series yet, but intend to, do not read this synopsis.

The review is spoiler free.

Accused of murder, Weather Warden Joanne Baldwin was chased across the country - and killed - by a team charged with hunting down rogue Wardens. Five days later, Joanne had a lovely funeral and was posthumously cleared of all charges. Her human life was over, but she had been reborn into Djinnhood. Now, until she masters her enhanced powers, Joanne must avoid being 'claimed' by a human. But when a hazard that only a Djinn could sense infiltrates Earth's atmosphere, Joanne must somehow convince someone to do something about it - or the forecast will be deadly. So who said being all-powerful was going to be easy?

Just to give you an idea of how gripping I found this novel - I didn't even mean to start reading it - not really, anyway. I was sorting out my new bookcase, onto which I put this series, and I was just having a look through. Before I really knew what I was doing, I'd picked this one up and was already over 50 pages of the way into it. Well, you can't just stop reading when you're that far in, can you? Added to that is the fact that this series is seriously addictive - I had to keep reading, even if I hadn't intended to start.

I read the first in this series, Ill Wind, about a year and a half ago, and I really loved it. For a few days afterwards, I didn't look at the weather in the same way - it became something alive and sinister. I know it's not really, but this is the effect that this novel has on its reader, if you allow yourself to be drawn in by it.
Heat Stroke was just as good, if not better, than Ill Wind though! I honestly love Jo's character, and if you think she had a tough time of it before, wait until you see what she's put up against here. Her character sustains it all, takes it in her stride, and loses none of her trademark feisty attitude along the way. She is the definition of a strong female character.

As for the plot, it certainly keeps you guessing! I knew that Jo had to survive the dangers that this instalment in the series threw at her - there are 7 books following it, after all - but how she would survive, I had no idea. It was certainly another close call, and I was wiping metaphorical sweat from my brow by the time the novel ended. And what an ending - what a cliffhanger - it literally launches you straight into the third book, Chill Factor, which I'm definitely looking forward to getting around to very soon!

Caine creates such a unique and exciting world in the Weather Warden series, that you can't help but live in the novel while you're reading it.
An unputdownable novel and series that I highly recommend to any and all fans of urban fantasy - especially if you're looking for something that stands out within the genre!

The Guardian's Wildchild Blog Tour: The Writing Cave [Guest Post] & International Giveaway

2012-02-20T00:30:00.000Z

The Guardian's Wildchild by Feather Stone: The Writing Cave
This is Pen to Paper's guest post for The Guardian's Wildchild Blog Tour. The eBook can be purchased for the Kindle via Amazon HERE for the UK, and HERE for US. It can also be purchased in paperback from Amazon US HERE.

Something wild happened ten years ago. I had always had stories lurking in my head. They were my private movies, fantasies that would put to shame many of those I saw in the theatres. Then a paranormal event shook my world. To make sense of the experience, I sat down and began to write about it. For the next five years, I was at the mercy of an overwhelming force to write. Then came the rewrites and work with an editor. Of course, much of my time was spent at the keyboard. I was surrounded by my reference books, and occasionally savored a glass of sherry. On cold winter days, my fireplace was burning poplar logs. Once at the keyboard, I often forgot to eat. Hubby was supportive in making me soup or sandwiches. Rarely did I have a block. When I did, I simply edited previous work until the creative juices started flowing again.
I love to be outside. Walking my Sheltie, Jasper, or working in my flower gardens, the characters continued to speak to me. Scenes and dialogue continued to flow. I would worry that I might not remember a particular brilliant segment of dialogue while digging, feeding and weeding. However, once returning to the keyboard, the inspiration was easily recalled.
My hands are always busy. Whether knitting, crocheting, flower arranging, photography, I’m always creating something. And, you guessed it. With every knit and purl, visions of the next scene become clear, or a sub-plot emerges. So, you see, I don’t write in a cave or a corner of a room. Where ever I am, the story follows.

And now for more exciting news! Pen to Paper is one of the lucky blogs on this tour that are hosting giveaways to win an eBook copy of The Guardian's Wildchild!
So, first of all, I'd like to lay down the rules for our giveaway:

There is one free entry. After this, to earn the extra entries, you must also be a follower of Pen to Paper via GFC. This will mean that I'll need your exact and full GFC follower name, as I will be checking you are follower if you are drawn out as a winner. I reserve the right to disqualify entries that do not comply with this.
This giveaway is to win one eBook copy of The Guardian's Wildchild by Feather Stone, and is international.
There are extra entries available for this giveaway. These are not mandatory, but could be the difference between you or someone else taking the prize!
Please don't leave your email addresses in the comments below this post. I have trouble with this nearly every time I post a giveaway. I use Rafflecopter to protect your personal information. So please make sure your contact addresses stay safe.
This giveaway will end on February 29th 2012 at 23:59 EST

Now for a little bit about the novel before you get yourselves entered!

Goodreads synopsis:

The Guardian's Wildchild is a story that's unlike anything you've read before. It's not a typical romance story of starry eyed lovers in the throes of passion. No, Sidney Davenport and Captain Samaru Waterhouse are adversaries, at first.

Sidney Davenport is gifted in the paranormal, but carefully conceals her powers from the world. Even in the crises that threaten her life, she refuses to use her powers of telepathy, telekinesis, space/time travel. If her enemies discovered the truth of who she is, her Guardian people would be at risk. She calls upon her spirit guides, Seamus and Celeste, to guide her through a mine field of the insane - Madame and Captain Butchart.

But, God help Sidney, she can't deny her attraction to the man who has orders to perform her execution - the tall, dark eyed Captain Waterhouse. He's meticulous, disciplined and trusted by his ship's officers and naval seamen.

Captain Waterhouse is walking a fine line between his mother's Buddhist influence and a dark destructive path. He is about to scrap his higher morals to bust out of his hell. When a female prisoner is delivered to his ship, he has no idea she is capable of turning his disciplined life into a storm of unimaginable experiences. His prisoner's enemies, he discovers, are also the ones who hold his life in the palm of their hands.

The ending? Not a fairy tale ending here. But enough said.

Through stunning imagery, an intricate and adventurous plot, and a strong cast of characters, Feather Stone gives readers a fast paced story woven with murder and magic.

Now all that's left to do is get yourselves entered! Good luck to all of you!

Read more »

In my Mailbox #19

2012-02-19T19:45:00.001Z

This week's post will be a little shorter than last week.
The books I've had during the week have mostly been what I've spent from the remaining money from gift cards that I got for my birthday.
I'll leave links to The Book Depository pages for each book, so you can go and mooch! :)

Physical books: Bought

Fever by Lauren DeStafano: This was the first book I got with my birthday Amazon voucher from Jenny at Chocolate Chunky Munkie. I really love the cover, and it looks so pretty sitting next to Wither on my shelves. They're both gorgeous-looking books! Having read a couple of chapters of Wither the other day, I'm really looking forward to both of them.

Shattered Souls by Mary Lindsey: This is the other book I got myself with the gift voucher from Jenny, and I'm really excited about this one too - it's been on my wishlist for AGES! Again, I've read the first couple of chapters (just to sample it, obviously) and it's looking pretty good. Another that I'm really excited about!

The Sealed Letter by Emma Donoghue: I really loved Room, and I've been waiting for this one to come out in paperback for ages! Now it's finally here, and I'm really excited to see what it's like. I hope it's as good as Room was!

The Prophecy of Sisters by Michelle Zink: I was pre-ordering A Temptation of Angels and decided to have a look at Michelle's other books. This one looked really interesting, so I'm looking forward to it. Hopefully A Temptation of Angels will also arrive soon after it's published!

Girl, Missing by Sophie McKenzie: I bought this one with part of what is remaining on my Waterstones gift cards that I got for my birthday. I bought it mostly because I've won a signed copy of the sequel (which should be arriving tomorrow), and I wanted to be able to read this one first. It looks like a nice, short, intriguing read.

From Publishers to review

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver: I received this one from Hodder & Stoughton, so thank you to them for my book! I'm really really looking forward to reading this one. I read Delirium on holiday during the summer and it was one of my favourite books of the year (this is why I keep putting it up on my giveaways as a possible prize - and it's been a popular option, which I'm glad about!), so I'm hoping Pandemonium will live up to this! I'm fairly certain that it will!

Won

The Accidental Vampire by Lynsay Sands: I won this one from Book Passion for Life, earlier in the month. I have books 1-4 in eBook format to read, so I'll look forward to this one sometime in the future.

Birthday Present from Work

Dracula by Bram Stoker (Barnes & Noble leather-bound classics): I had been off work for nearly three weeks for my 21st birthday, and when I got into work yesterday, I had a present waiting for me, which I really wasn't expecting. I opened it when I got home, and this is what I got. I love these editions, and I now have four of them! They're gorgeous :)

eBooks

Siren by Tricia Rayburn: This one was on the Kindle Daily Deal for 99p earlier in the week, and as it was on my wishlist, I jumped at it. It looks like something a little different from my usual choice of reads, so I'm looking forward to seeing what it's like.

Airel by Aaron Patterson: I won this one from another giveaway, and the author emailed me with my copy earlier this week. This is another that I'm really looking forward to. I really give meaning to 'too many books, too little time'!

Friday Recommends #20

2012-02-17T09:30:00.000Z

Follow Pen to Paper as host of the meme.
Please consider adding the blog hop button to your blog somewhere, so others can find it easily and join in too! Help spread the word! The code will be at the bottom of the post under the linky.
Pick a book that you've read, and have enjoyed enough to recommend to other readers. It can be a book you've read recently, or a book you read years ago - it's up to you - but make sure you tell us why you love the book (like a mini review). You make the post as long or as short as you like.
Add your blog to the linky at the bottom of this post after posting your blog post.
Put a link back to pen to paper (http://vogue-pentopaper.blogspot.com) somewhere in your post.
Visit the other blogs and enjoy!

After Dark by Haruki Murakami

Goodreads synopsis:

The midnight hour approaches in an almost empty all-night diner. Mari sips her coffee and glances up from a book as a young man, a musician, intrudes on her solitude. Both have missed the last train home.

Later, Mari is interrupted again by a girl from the Alphaville Hotel; a Chinese prostitute has been hurt by a client, and she needs Mari's help.

Meanwhile Mari's beautiful sister Eri sleeps a deep, heavy sleep that is 'too perfect, too pure' to be normal; she has lain asleep for two months. But tonight as the digital clock displays 00:00, a hint of life flickers across the TV screen, though the television's plug has been pulled out.

Strange nocturnal happenings, or a trick of the night?

This book definitely left me thinking for a long while after I'd finished reading it. It's a short novel, but a powerful and surreal one, that takes place over the course of one night in Japan. I think the novel left me with more questions than it started off with - What was the meaning of all the surreal events of the novel? It is definitely something worth considering.

One of the most effective tools that Murakami uses to draw the reader in, is having the narrative directly address the reader. So rather than seeing everything through the eyes of the various characters, it is set up as though we can see it for ourselves. Bizarre, but quietly effective.

Although the only other Murakami novel I've read so far is Norwegian Wood, and this is about as different from that as you can get from the beauty and reality of what is known as one of Murakami's great masterpieces, After Dark definitely has its appeal. A strange read, but definitely one worth giving a go.

Before I go to Sleep by S. J. Watson Review

2012-02-17T00:18:00.000Z

Before I Go To Sleep by S. J. Watson

Series: None
Pages: 384
Publisher: Black Swan
Release date: 2nd January 2012
Buy: Book Depository | Amazon UK | Amazon US | Waterstones

Goodreads synopsis:
Christine wakes up every morning in an unfamiliar bed with an unfamiliar man. She looks in the mirror and sees an unfamiliar, middle- aged face. And every morning, the man she has woken up with must explain that he is Ben, he is her husband, she is forty-seven years old, and a terrible accident two decades earlier decimated her ability to form new memories.

But it’s the phone call from a Dr. Nash, a neurologist who claims to be working with Christine without her husband’s knowledge, that directs her to her journal, hidden in the back of her closet. For the past few weeks, Christine has been recording her daily activities—tearful mornings with Ben, sessions with Dr. Nash, flashes of scenes from her former life—and rereading past entries, relearning the facts of her life as retold by the husband she is completely dependent upon. As the entries build up, Christine asks many questions. What was life like before the accident? Why did she and Ben never have a child? What has happened to Christine’s best friend? And what exactly was the horrific accident that caused such a profound loss of memory?

Every day, Christine must begin again the reconstruction of her past. And the closer she gets to the truth, the more un- believable it seems.

This book is extraordinary! I hope the beginning to this review will grab your attention, and that you'll now read on - I'd say this book is certainly a must read.

The novel was exceptionally written all the way though, and from the very first page, I was convinced that Christine was a real woman, living this frighteningly believable nightmare. Her character effortlessly draws you in, despite the fact that we will know very little about her for some time. This though, in a way, brings us closer to the character, because this is not only our journey of discovery, but Christine's too, as she pieces together the fractured fragments of her life and reshapes and rebuilds her story, until the truth is revealed. This parallel between protagonist and reader in itself is extremely powerful, and that is without taking the rest of the novel into account.

The story and (more importantly, I think) the structure of the book is outstandingly intelligent, and continues being so throughout the novel, despite the complexity of the narrative. Christine's memory is erased once she falls asleep each and every night; once she wakes the next morning, she remembers nothing of the previous day. So, in order to allow the plot to continue developing, the majority of the book is written as Christine's journal - a record of the memories she recalls, and the events of each day, giving her life a sense of continuity, however slight that might be.
This could easily have become a tiresome read, as Christine reads her previous entries each day, reads and re-reads the joys and tragedies of her life, and learns to recognise herself over again. In this case though, there is nothing tiresome about it, which can only show the faultless skill of the author. It is truly impressive.

This book is thrilling, yes, but I think what made it such an incredible read, for me, was how convincing and real it felt. As I've already said, Christine was not just a character to me, but real, and this goes for the rest of the novel too. There was nothing two-dimensional about the novel at all - it breathed life from its pages, and this is the mark of a truly spectacular work of art.

I don't feel as though I can say much more about the book, without beginning to give anything away. Obviously there is so much more that I'd like to say, but I'd hate to believe that I would be ruining any of the surprises that lie in wait for you between the pages.
Usually at this point, I might recommend the book to lovers of a particular genre, or specific set of authors - something of this kind. This is something spectacular though, and I would urge anyone and everyone to pick it up and give it a go. I am certain that you will agree with me.

Random Acts of Kindness International Giveaway [Ended]

2012-02-16T19:18:00.000Z

This hop is hosted by the wonderful Kathy at I am a Reader, Not a Writer. Please click HERE to view the rest of the participating blogs.

I think I say this every single time I do one of these giveaway hops, but I honestly do love running these. It gives me a chance to give something back to all of you - my wonderful followers!

First of all, I'd like to lay down the rules and guidelines, and then we'll get onto the business of the books!

You must be a follower of Pen to Paper to enter. I will check that you are a follower if you are pulled out as a winner. I withhold the right to disqualify your entry if you are not a follower of the blog. This giveaway is for my wonderful followers - so make sure you become one of them :)
I will need your GFC follower name put into the extra info box in the Rafflecopter. Make sure you put in your exact follower name, as I search for this to confirm your entry if you're pulled out as a winner.
If you are chosen as a winner and I email you, you will have 48 hours to reply to the email. If I don't receive a reply in this time, I will have to draw another winner, and you will lose your prize - sorry but someone has to win!
As I order the prizes from The Book Depository, I can not be held responsible for any damages or losses in the post.
Please don't leave your email address in the comments. I have trouble with this every time I do a giveaway. I use Rafflecopter so that your email addresses are not available to anyone but me (and only then if you win). This is for your own safety :)
There is one initial entry for following Pen to Paper and then one further extra entry. This second entry is optional, but it could be the difference between someone else or you winning!
The giveaway will end on February 21st at 23:59 EST.

Now for the good bit - the books that are up for grabs. The winner will choose one of the following books (as always, you can click on the images to view the goodreads page):

The top three are books that I've read and really enjoyed (I'm just finishing Before I go to Sleep, and it's amazing), and the bottom three are books I'm really looking forward to reading.
It should be noted, that if you choose The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, it will be a paperback pre-order and will be dispatched around a week after the giveaway closes.

All that's left to do now, then, is make sure you're following and get yourselves entered in the Rafflecopter below. Good luck to all of you!

Read more »

The Time Will Come #18

2012-02-16T17:18:00.001Z

Every Thursday, Books for Company hosts a meme in which we will post a book we really want to read, or have been meaning to take off our shelves and read for a while.

Want to join in?

Pick a book you have been meaning to read.
Do a post telling us about this book.
Link up the post in the Linky
Visit the other blogs!

Book of Love by Abra Ebner

Goodreads synopsis:

New characters, New world, but old enemies. Emily struggles to ignore a new friend with emotions that temp her, Wes delves deeper into his past and family while finding friendship isn't reserved for the human race alone, Jane finds out her dear Max isn't what he seems, Greg's friendships cost him more than he expected, and Max forgets that the truth is best. But then again, someone always has to be the liar... Emotional baggage, begrudged enemies, and the bitterness that comes when the honeymoon of their friendship fades... Will the love survive, or is it all just a game?

This was one of the first eBooks I ever bought for my Kindle. I was so excited that I could now read books from America, really cheaply, that I downloaded it before I was even given my eReader (it was a birthday present - waiting for it nearly killed me). However, despite being really excited by the prospect of being able to read this at last, I still haven't read it! Very odd, I know. I need to get this one read very soon!

What books have you had for a long time and still not read? Let me know in the comments :)

Wishlist Wednesday #23

2012-02-15T11:12:00.001Z

Follow Pen to Paper as host of the meme.
Please consider adding the blog hop button to your blog somewhere, so others can find it easily and join in too! Help spread the word! The code will be at the bottom of the post under the linky.
Pick a book from your wishlist that you are dying to get to put on your shelves.
Do a post telling your readers about the book and why it's on your wishlist.
Add your blog to the linky at the bottom of this post.
Put a link back to pen to paper (http://vogue-pentopaper.blogspot.com) somewhere in your post.
Visit the other blogs and enjoy!

Partials by Dan Wells

Goodreads synopsis:

The acclaimed author of "I Am Not a Serial Killer" takes readers on a pulse-pounding journey into a world where the very concept of what it means to be human is in question--one where our humanity is both our greatest liability and our only hope for survival.

I've really gotten into my dystopian fiction recently, so this one seems like the perfect choice! I've entered a few giveaways since I first found out about it, in an attempt to get an ARC, but have been unsuccessful, so now I have to wait until the release date (which I don't think is too far away now). I realise that the goodreads synopsis doesn't really tell you much about it, but it is definitely worth looking at a pre-order - it sounds amazing.

Straight to Heaven: The Lilith Straight Blog Tour Sign-up Post

2012-02-14T20:05:00.002Z

A little while ago, as those of you who have been with me the longest may know, I read and reviewed Michelle Scott's Straight to Hell, the first in the Lilith Straight series. I adored it, of course, and have been impatiently ~~bugging Michelle~~ waiting for the sequel. In fact, I have been so excited about this, for so long, that we have decided to make a week out of it, and do a blog tour, which I shall be hosting, ready for the release of Straight to Heaven (which will hopefully be May this year - I will keep you updated on this when we know more).

This is a very exciting post for me, because the fact that I'm posting it means that we're ready to start getting blogs involved and planning the tour! That means I'm reaching out to all of you guys out there - all of you, with the wonderful book blogs - we need you!

The tour is not just to promote the release of Straight to Heaven, but the whole series thus far, and for this to happen, we need readers and bloggers to come over and help us out.
Free copies of the first in the series (Straight to Hell) are already available for review, when you sign up for the tour using the form at the end of this post, and we are hoping that review eBooks will be available for Striaght to Heaven sometime in April, but I will keep all involved up to date on this. Reviews for Straight to Hell may be posted before the tour if you select the option to review book two only during the tour. Or you can post both of your reviews at the same time. It's up to you.

At the moment we are looking at running the tour from May 20-26, but if we have an increase in interest, we will look at expanding these dates to accommodate everyone who wants to take part. We will obviously be having more than one participant posting per day, as it is, but we don't want too many each day, for obvious reasons.

The blog tour post types available at the moment are; reviews (either of book 1 or book 2 on their own, or both together), Interviews with Michelle (for which you would provide Michelle with the questions), Character interviews, Guest posts and/or extracts from the books. There is an option to suggest a different type of post though, if you have another idea. This would be something that you would discuss between yourselves and Michelle.
Giveaways will not be run separately on each blog, but rather a grand giveaway will be hosted on Michelle's site throughout the course of the tour. However, there are perks for you all, as extra entries will be earned by following each of the guest bloggers, so you will still benefit from this. The giveaway prize is not certain yet, but we're looking at more than one prize, with the grand prize being something truly awesome.

So, if you are a blogger and a reader, and would like to take part in this wonderful tour, fill in the form below. Details will only be seen by myself and Michelle so that we are able to plan the tour effectively between us.
Once you've signed up, please consider adding the blog tour button somewhere on your blog page, so that others may see it and sign up. The code for this can be found underneath the sign-up form.

Also, could I ask that you follow my blog as the host of the tour? I will be following all of yours as we go along!

<p>&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Loading...&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;</p>

Musing Mondays #5

2012-02-13T11:35:00.000Z

This meme is hosted by Should be Reading.

Every week a new 'musing' question is posted by the host for all participants to answer in their own posts.

This week's musing is:

What is your favourite romance book, or book that involves a love story?

Wow - this is a tough one! I have three different series in mind for this. The first one is fairly predictable, if you know me well, and that is Sookie's various romances in the Sookie Stackhouse (or True Blood series) by Charlaine Harris. This just happens to be my favourite series by my favourite author. I don't want to say too much about this because I wouldn't want to give anything away for those who are yet to discover the wonders of True Blood, but I will say that each of her love interests are unique from one another and equally as exciting (and keep an eye out for Quinn - I guarantee that you'll love him!)

The second romance I'd choose, I think, is Avry and Kerrick from Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder. I loved the romance between these two because it definitely struck me as real. There was nothing cheesy about it, and it didn't just happen straight away - it developed over the course of the novel, and was fully blossomed, ready for the second in the series (which I will be awaiting very impatiently).

The third romance I would choose would be Alexia and Lord Maccon in the Parasol Protectorate series. Even though I've only read the first book, this is enough. Their relationship is exciting, laugh-out-loud funny (as is the rest of the book) and dynamic. I can't wait to see how this relationship develops, as I continue with the rest of the series!

What are your favourite fictional romances? Let me know in the comments!

In my Mailbox #18

2012-02-12T17:14:00.001Z

This week's post is going to be a fairly large one. It was my birthday earlier in the week, and as I received a couple of book vouchers and some money, I went into Birmingham on Friday and spent some of it. That is the reason for most of my books this week, but I was also bought a couple as presents.

Physical books

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins: The observant among you will know that I've already read this one. However, I have the rest of the trilogy in paperback, so I couldn't have them on my shelf without making the trilogy complete. Plus, it's one of my keepers, and having it on my eReader was not enough.

Fated by Sarah Alderson: I won Hunting Lila from a book blog giveaway a while ago, and it sounds really good. I saw a friend of mine give this a really positive review, so I had to get it with part of my book vouchers.

Wake by Robert J. Sawyer: I'd never heard of this one before, but I really enjoyed the FlashForward series on TV, which was adapted from the novel by this author. But as I already know the story to that one, I thought I'd try something different. This sounds really good!

Dark Heart Forever by Lee Monroe: This is just one I noticed at work a little while ago, and just decided to pick it up while I was out shopping. I'm hoping it will be a fairly good read - though I'm not expecting it to be anything amazing, in all honesty.

Bloodfever by Karen Marie Moning: This is the second in the series, and as I already have the first one, I thought I'd pick it up (especially as it was marked half price!).

Legend by Marie Lu: I've been interested in this one for a while, but it hadn't been released in the UK yet. I could have got it off the internet a while ago, but I knew this cover would be coming out and it would be a lot cheaper, so I've been patient and waited. Having read the first few pages earlier, to see what it's like, I'm really looking forward to it!

Flying Blind by Deborah Cooke: This one was one of my other wishlist books that I picked up on my shopping trip. It sounds quite unique, so I'm looking forward to it. I just hope that as a YA book, it's not too young.

Witch Child by Celia Rees: I used to read Celia Rees books when I was younger, and this is one of those that I've read before. I don't really remember much about it though, so I've bought another copy to re-read.

The Lying Game by Sara Shepard: I'd seen this one advertised as a new TV series adaptation, so I thought I'd check out the novel first. Don't know if I'll end up watching the TV series though - probably not. I don't tend to watch too much TV any more.

Night School by C. J. Daugherty: This was just another one from my wishlist. It's one I've seen on other book blogs before now, so I thought I'd see what the fuss is about.

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick: I actually have this one my eReader, but I found a cheap copy and thought it'd look good on my shelves. Sad, I know, but it does look good!

Wither by Lauren DeStefano: See above :P

Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater: I've got loads of Maggie's books, but so far, I've not actually read any. I keep saying I'm going to and that I'm looking forward to them, but I've not picked one up yet. I'm hoping they live up to expectations. I only bought this one because I found it for £1.50, and I'm a bargain hunter.

Blood Brothers by Amy Rickman: This one was intended as a funny present from my boyfriend because of my (perhaps unhealthy) obsession with Ian Somerhalder. What he doesn't know is that I will probably really enjoy reading it (and looking at it).

The Etymologicon by Mark Forsyth (The Inky Fool): My Dad chose this one for my birthday. I'd actually considered buying it before, but had decided to wait for the cheaper paperback. I'm an English University student, and have a real passion for words, so a book about the origins of some words and the connections between them is great! It's a very funny read so far.

I Can Resist Everything Except Temptation compiled by Maria Leach: This is a collection of Oscar Wilde quotes that my little brother bought me for my birthday. I love all things Oscar, so this was the perfect gift. The title itself, I have since found out, is from Lady Windermere's Fan, and I can proudly say that I know this because I read the play, and didn't find out from this quote book. *nerd*

eBooks

The Book of Human Skin by Michelle Lovric
I have been undecided about whether or not I want this one for a while, but it was on the Kindle Daily Deal for 99p the other day, so I thought, for that price, I could download and try it.

This is my only eBook this week.

What did you get in your mailbox this week? Let me know in the comments :)

Birthday Bookcase!

2012-02-11T19:56:00.000Z

So, as some of you may know, it was my 21st birthday on Wednesday, and my parents bought me a second bookcase for my bedroom. We put it up on Tuesday, during the day, but we decided to secure the back of the bookcase better and fix it to the wall, so this took until Thursday night to finish, and then I wasn't at home.
I spent a lot of last night deciding which books should go on there - but after 3 hours, I still hadn't finished. So I spent some of my time off from work today, filling the rest of it up. I have left some little gaps for a couple of books that I've won and another book that should be coming from a publishers on Monday (which I'm very excited about!). So, I thought, for those of you who are like me, and love being nosy at other people's book collections, I'd post some photos. I took before and after photos of the bookcase itself:

I also took photos of each shelf, so that you could be extra nosy. I put mostly YA or fantasy novels in this bookcase, as I do have a rather large collection of these. I still have another bookcase full though, which still has more fantasy in it (including an entire shelf of Charlaine Harris novels). Anyway, here is each shelf:

The first five on the left are books that I got for Christmas (although, not all of the books I got), and most of the others are books I've acquired in the last 3 weeks or so. I apologise that these photos are not the clearest, by the way.

The second from the left that you can't quite see, is The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, which I won and read before Christmas. You can read my review here.

I really haven't read many from this bookcase yet - the only one I've read on this shelf is Soulless - read my review here, and my interview with Gail Carriger here.

Most of my review books from publishers (and work) are on this shelf (although, the Jenny Downham book on the top shelf was from work to review). The first two on the left (Pigeon English and The Snow Child, are from work, then Changeling Moon is from the author. The following six are from publishers, and then we go back to the rest of my book collection (although there will be one more from a publisher there next week sometime). The red book is The Etymologicon (it's about the origins of words and how they are connected), which my parents bought me as an extra present. Those three beautiful books on the right are Barnes & Noble leather-bound classics (L-R) Huckleberry Finn, The Picture of Dorian Gray and Jane Eyre.

The gap at the end there is for the books I've won over the past week, so I can put them on there when they arrive :)

I decided that because quite a few people seem to be interested, I will add a whole load of links to the Book Depository pages for each of the books, so you can see what they are, and if you feel so inclined, do a sneaky click'n'buy ;)

Shelf 1

Shelf 2

Shelf 3

Shelf 4

Shelf 5

Friday Recommends #19

2012-02-10T00:13:00.000Z

Follow Pen to Paper as host of the meme.
Please consider adding the blog hop button to your blog somewhere, so others can find it easily and join in too! Help spread the word! The code will be at the bottom of the post under the linky.
Pick a book that you've read, and have enjoyed enough to recommend to other readers. It can be a book you've read recently, or a book you read years ago - it's up to you - but make sure you tell us why you love the book (like a mini review). You make the post as long or as short as you like.
Add your blog to the linky at the bottom of this post after posting your blog post.
Put a link back to pen to paper (http://vogue-pentopaper.blogspot.com) somewhere in your post.
Visit the other blogs and enjoy!

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Waterstones synopsis:

HERE IS A SMALL FACT - YOU ARE GOING TO DIE. 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier. Liesel, a nine-year-old girl, is living with a foster family on Himmel Street. Her parents have been taken away to a concentration camp. Liesel steals books. This is her story and the story of the inhabitants of her street when the bombs begin to fall. SOME IMPORTANT INFORMATION - THIS NOVEL IS NARRATED BY DEATH. It's a small story, about: a girl, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. ANOTHER THING YOU SHOULD KNOW - DEATH WILL VISIT THE BOOK THIEF THREE TIMES

This story is intelligent, gripping and well-written, but the best thing about it - by far - for me, is the narrative style. Death is literally personified in this book. He is bought to life as the narrative character, the authorial voice, and it works so incredibly well, that he just strolls off the pages. But he is not a frightening character, but a friendly one - soul collecting is simply his day job. He is, by a long way, one of my favourite fictional characters, which does seem to be a rather odd thing to say about Death.

The story itself is intriguing. It's a wonderful, potent mixture of the fantasy that arrises from the narrator, and the terrible realities & effects of war and destruction that we see both through his eyes, and through the eyes of the Book Thief, Liesel, a young German girl.
It's a beautiful, horrowing, poignant tale that shows us World War II from a completely different perspective.

I couldn't recommend this book more highly! It's giving me goosebumps just thinking about it again!

What do you recommend this week? Join in with Friday Recommends and let us know!
Add your link below in the linky!

The Vampire Diaries: Stefen's Diaries Giveaway Winner

2012-02-09T17:02:00.000Z

This is one of my favourite parts of doing giveaways - being able to email the winner, letting them know they've won, and then announcing their win on the blog! It's such a great feeling!
This giveaway was to win books 1-4 of The Vampire Diaries: Stefan's Diaries, courtesy of Hachette Children's books, and earlier today, I contacted the winner.

So, the winner of this wonderful prize is:

at The Bookaholics

For those of you that didn't win, remember you can still purchase them with free worldwide shipping at The Book Depository. You can click on the following images to take you to each individual Book Depository page.

The Time Will Come #18

2012-02-09T13:20:00.001Z

Every Thursday, Books for Company hosts a meme in which we will post a book we really want to read, or have been meaning to take off our shelves and read for a while.

Want to join in?

Pick a book you have been meaning to read.
Do a post telling us about this book.
Link up the post in the Linky
Visit the other blogs!

The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney

Goodreads synopsis:

Freak. That's what her classmates call seventeen-year-old Donna Underwood. When she was seven, a horrific fey attack killed her father and drove her mother mad. Donna's own nearly fatal injuries from the assault were fixed by magic—the iron tattoos branding her hands and arms. The child of alchemists, Donna feels cursed by the magical heritage that destroyed her parents and any chance she had for a normal life. The only thing that keeps her sane and grounded is her relationship with her best friend, Navin Sharma.
When the darkest outcasts of Faerie—the vicious wood elves—abduct Navin, Donna finally has to accept her role in the centuries old war between the humans and the fey. Assisted by Xan, a gorgeous half-fey dropout with secrets of his own, Donna races to save her friend—even if it means betraying everything her parents and the alchemist community fought to the death to protect.

I bought this one over a year ago now, I think. It may have been slightly less time than that, but it has been near enough that long. It sounds like such an amazing read, and my reasons for having not read it yet are, I admit, a little daft. Basically, I work in a bookshop (for those who don't know), called Waterstones, in the UK. When this book first came out, we had a load of limited edition copies in, that have gold-edged pages. It's a really beautiful book, and I haven't read it yet, simply because I don't want to spoil it!
Silly, I know. I may have to ignore this and read it soon though. Having just read the synopsis again, I feel the need to pick it up!

Wishlist Wednesday #22: Birthday edition!

2012-02-08T00:05:00.000Z

Follow Pen to Paper as host of the meme.
Please consider adding the blog hop button to your blog somewhere, so others can find it easily and join in too! Help spread the word! The code will be at the bottom of the post under the linky.
Pick a book from your wishlist that you are dying to get to put on your shelves.
Do a post telling your readers about the book and why it's on your wishlist.
Add your blog to the linky at the bottom of this post.
Put a link back to pen to paper (http://vogue-pentopaper.blogspot.com) somewhere in your post.
Visit the other blogs and enjoy!

Night Beach by Kirsty Eagar

Goodreads synopsis:

Imagine there is someone you like so much that just thinking about them leaves you desperate and reckless. You crave them in a way that's not rational, not right, and you're becoming somebody you don't recognise, and certainly don't respect, but you don't even care.
And this person you like is unattainable. Except for one thing...
He lives downstairs.

Abbie has three obsessions. Art. The ocean. And Kane.

But since Kane's been back, he's changed. There's a darkness shadowing him that only Abbie can see. And it wants her in its world.

A gothic story about the very dark things that feed the creative process.

I saw this one on NetGalley, but being from Penguin Australia, they were only accepting Australian reviewers and booksellers, and as I am from the UK (although I did try my luck), I was denied access to the galley. I have wanted to read Kirsty Eagar's books before now, but they are notoriously difficult to get hold of in the UK (even as a bookseller, and even with the publisher being Penguin) - it's extremely irritating. This is one that is really going to bother me if I can't get hold of it though! The others I can get over not having, but this one looks amazing - I need to have it.
So if there are any generous-feeling Australians out there, remember: today is my 21st birthday ;)

Marie Landry: Author Interview & International Giveaway [Blue Sky Days blog tour Day 2] [Giveaway ended]

2012-02-07T01:41:00.001Z

The more observant of you may have noticed that yesterday I posted a review of Marie Landry's Blue Sky Days, with a promise of an interview with Marie and an international eBook giveaway of the novel. Well today, I'm delighted to be able to give both of these things to you!
So, without further delay, I'd like to introduce you to the woman of the hour - Marie!

First of all, Marie, could you tell us a little about yourself?

I’m 28, and live in Ontario, Canada. I’ve been a freelance writer for a couple years now, and Blue Sky Days is my debut novel. I love to write, read, blog, and knit (I knit scarves for charity, something my Grama got me into a year or so ago).

What were you favourite book(s) as a child?

I loved the Berenstain Bears books. I had a huge collection of them, and they were basically the books I learned to read with. As I got older, a few favourites included the Baby-Sitter’s Club and Sweet Valley High books (I grew up in the 90s, what can I say?), as well as Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery, On Fortune’s Wheel by Cynthia Voigt, Zel by Donna Jo Napoli, and Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen.

Do you have a favourite author? If yes, who are they and why are they your favourite?

I actually have two favourite authors. The first is Nora Roberts; to me, she’s the queen of romance (and not the ‘heaving bosom’, bodice ripping romance, but romance with an actual story and character development). She’s a fantastic writer, her characters are always amazing, and she just keeps getting better. My second favourite is JK Rowling; she’s so creative and imaginative, and she was able to create a world that millions of people, both young and old, could escape to and enjoy.

Which author(s) would you say influence your own writing?

I always thought I would be a romance novelist, so for years I’ve said I want to be Nora Roberts when I grow up. Besides the things I mentioned above, she’s also an incredibly prolific writer. As a YA author, I’m inspired by Sarah Dessen’s writing. I read Someone Like You when I was about 16 and it felt like she had written it for me. It felt like my story, and I’d never had that happen before. I wanted to write stories and characters that people could relate to the way I related to Someone Like You. All of her books are about real people, real situations, and real emotions. I love that.

What genres do you enjoy reading the most?

I’m a total romance junkie, so I’ll read basically any book that has a romance, even if it’s a sub-genre of romance. Overall, I’m a very eclectic reader and will read just about anything - fantasy, paranormal, historical, mystery, science fiction, dystopian/post-apocalyptic, you name it.

Have you always wanted to be a writer? And if so, what made you finally put Pen to Paper to write Blue Sky Days?

Yes, always. I’ve written stories for as long as I can remember, and Blue Sky Days wasn’t my first novel. I was 20 when I originally wrote it, and there were several things that pushed me to do it. Emma and Nicholas became very real people to me, and they wanted me to tell their story, so I did.

What inspired the novel? Where did the idea for the story come from?

Because I wrote the first draft of the book so long ago, it’s hard to remember which pieces of the story came first. I had the idea for Emma - a girl who was lost and confused, alone and unsure, trying to find her way and her place in the world. And I had the idea for Nicholas - this free-spirited, happy-go-lucky kind of guy who saw the positive in everything and everyone. The cancer storyline came from personal experience; my dad was diagnosed with leukemia when I was eight, and was very sick for two years before he passed away. I guess it was inevitable that I would work cancer into a story someday. When I was 20, a friend of mine was also diagnosed with leukemia, and that’s when the pieces of the story really started to come together.

I absolutely adore all of the characters in the story, and I especially love Daisy. Did you base the characters on yourself, or anyone you know at all?

Well, first of all, thank you - I’m so glad you enjoyed the characters! I took traits here and there from people I know for different characters, but mostly they were fictional. I put a lot of myself into Emma; unlike her, I always knew what I ultimately wanted to do with my life (even though I strayed from the path at times, and it took longer than I anticipated), but I was very insecure and prone to self-doubt the way she was. People who know me well will see the similarities between Emma and me, especially in the small details like favourite colour or movie or food. I wish that Daisy was based on a real person, but she’s mostly fictional, with the exception of very small traits here and there taken from people I know.

Riverview sounds like a really wonderful place, and totally different to the world I'm used to living in. Is this a place you've visited, or did you fictionalize it to make it a perfect haven for your characters?
Riverview is a fictional place. It was basically my idea of a place I’d love to live - small town where everyone knows and cares about each other, locally owned businesses, friendly people. I live in a city surrounded by small towns that are similar to Riverview, where Main Street is literally the main street, and all the shops and businesses are there. The quaint small-town charm of Riverview was inspired in part by childhood visits to Amherst Island, Ontario, where my Grama was born and raised. People were so friendly there - whenever we drove past someone, whether they were in their yard or on their porch or walking down the street, they would stop and wave at us as we passed. I incorporated things like that into the story.

As I said earlier, Daisy is my favourite character. Who is your favourite character from the novel (either personality-wise, or the character that was the most fun to write), and why?

My answer to this question changes regularly. I feel the closest to Emma because I feel like I spent the most time with her and got to know her best. I had the most fun writing Nicholas and Daisy, because I never knew what they were going to do or say next. Random things would just pop into my head, and I’d find myself laughing. They were both so eccentric and free-spirited, I was able to just let my imagination loose with them.

When you were writing the book, did you set yourself a writing schedule? And do you have a place where you most like to go, to sit and write?

For Blue Sky Days, I wrote the book mainly late at night. Now, seven years later, I work from home so I usually write all morning, most of the afternoon, and then again late at night. Most of my writing is done at my desk in my bedroom/office. When I find myself getting really distracted by things like Facebook and Twitter, I take my laptop to the living room and work there, because my laptop won’t connect to the internet.

Have you ever struggled with that most dreadful of all creatures: writer's block?

Honestly…not really. *knocks on wood* I sometimes dread it and worry about it, but for the most part, it hasn’t happened to me. I get stuck at times, but it’s not so bad that I’d call it writer’s block. I’m able to find my way around it, or I move on and then go back.

Are you a tea drinker, or a coffee drinker?

Coffee drinker, but only for the flavour of it - I have this weird immunity to caffeine. There are probably a dozen times a day when I wish I could have a cup of coffee for the jolt of energy, but it has absolutely no effect on me.

Do you prefer sweet or savoury foods, and what is your favourite food?

I really just love food, period. If I had to choose, I guess I’d say savoury because I love comfort food, and I love to cook, but I’m not much of a baker. My favourite food is lasagna, and it’s not something I have often, so it’s always extra special when I do make it or someone else makes it for me.

We all have odd little habits - what would you say is yours?

Do you have all day? I’ve found that artists, whatever their art - writing, painting, sculpting, dancing, acting, etc - are very eccentric and often more than a little crazy, and I’m no exception. I live inside my head so much of the time, it would be hard not to be a bit crazy, I think. A few odd things: I always add milk and sugar to my coffee before adding the coffee itself. I check my cell phone every few minutes, even when I know it hasn’t gone off and that no one has messaged me or emailed me. I’m the same with Facebook and Twitter, which is why I sometimes need to get away from a computer that has internet! I always have to have something sweet when I’m watching Vampire Diaries. I have no idea why, but it could be because when I first started watching it, I always had mini peanut butter cups, so the habit just stuck.

If you were given $1 million (US or Canadian, it's entirely up to you ;P), what would you do with it?

You’re all probably going to think I’m really boring with this one! I have a few debts I’d pay off, that would be my first priority. Next would be to buy my mum and myself a whole new wardrobe. She’s sacrificed so much for my brother and me, and she hardly ever spends money on herself, but she needs new clothes desperately, so I’d take her shopping and replace all her old clothes, and buy her anything else she wants. Next would be a three- or four-week trip to Ireland, Scotland, and England for my mum and me. We’ve been talking about that for the last decade, but it hasn’t happened yet. I’d like to set up a savings account for my two nephews, whether they want to use it for school, travel, or capital to start a business (they’re only 9 and 2, so it would earn a lot of interest in the meantime!). There are also a ton of charities I’d love to donate to that I haven’t been able to the last few years.

If you were stranded on a desert island and you could only take one book with you, what would it be?

As a bibliophile, this is probably the hardest question ever! I’m going to go with the first thing that popped into my mind: Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins.

What are your creature comforts?

My whole apartment. I’ve lived here for more than half my life, and because I’m basically a hermit it’s my sanctuary - warm bed, comfy desk chair, lots of natural light, the feeling of safety and security.

What are the simple things in life that make you smile?

I’m a very simple girl, and it doesn’t take much to make me happy. My family makes me incredibly happy - my mum is my best friend, and my nephews are the lights of my life, so I’m almost always smiling when they’re around. Other simple things: a good book, getting mail, a favourite song on the radio, finding something on TV that I haven’t seen in a long time, hearing from an old friend, getting nice Tweets, finding a new blog that I like.

And finally, can you tell us one interesting or odd fact about yourself?

I guess this could be considered a bit of both: I share a birthday with Jane Austen and Beethoven, and my greatest passions in life are writing and music. I always thought that was an interesting coincidence.

Thank you so much for agreeing to visit us here at Pen to Paper, Marie, it's been a pleasure having you here!

Thank you for having me Dani, I’ve loved visiting you and your readers!

Now, as promised, we have an international eBook giveaway of Blue Sky Days. The eBook can be in any format you need to suit your device.
First of all, I'd like to lay down some rules for the giveaway:

You do not have to be a follower of Pen to Paper to enter this giveaway, but you will earn LOADS more entries if you do follow.
If you click 'Follow Pen to Paper via GFC', I will need your exact follower name in the extra info, so that I can confirm you are a follower.
If you are chosen as a winner and I email you, you will have 48 hours to reply to the email. If I don't receive a reply in this time, I will have to draw another winner, and you will lose your prize - sorry but someone has to win!
There will be one winner. When they have replied, their email address will be passed on to Marie, and she will contact you with your prize.
Please don't leave your email address in the comments. I have trouble with this every time I do a giveaway. I use Rafflecopter so that your email addresses are not available to anyone but me (and only then if you win). This is for your own safety :)
The giveaway will end on February 14th at 23:59 EST.

Now all that's left to do, is get yourself entered!

Follower Love Giveaway Hop International [Ended]

2012-02-07T00:09:00.000Z

This giveaway is hosted by Kathy at I am a Reader, Not a Writer, and co-hosted by Rachael Renee Anderson's blog. You can click to view the other participating blogs HERE.

I have been looking forward to this giveaway for a little while now, and have been excitedly thinking of books that I could offer up for this wonderful giveaway. I think I've finally come up with a great list. But before I share it with you, I'm going to lay down some rules and guidelines so we all know where we stand before we begin :)

You must be a follower of Pen to Paper to enter. I will check that you are a follower if you are pulled out as a winner. I withhold the right to disqualify your entry if you are not a follower of the blog. This giveaway is for my wonderful followers - so become one of them :)
I will need your GFC follower name put into the extra info box in the Rafflecopter. Make sure you put in your exact follower name, as I search for this to confirm your entry if you're pulled out as a winner.
If you are chosen as a winner and I email you, you will have 48 hours to reply to the email. If I don't receive a reply in this time, I will have to draw another winner, and you will lose your prize - sorry but someone has to win!
There will be one winner, who gets to choose their choice of one book from the list provided.
Please don't leave your email address in the comments. I have trouble with this every time I do a giveaway. I use Rafflecopter so that your email addresses are not available to anyone but me (and only then if you win). This is for your own safety :)
As I send prizes from The Book Depository, I cannot be held responsible for the damage or loss of items in transit.
There is one initial entry for following Pen to Paper and then there are extra entries possible for the giveaway after this. They are optional, but they could be the difference between someone else or you winning!
The giveaway will end on February 14th at 23:59 EST.

Now for the exciting part: the choice of books! As always, you can click on each image to view the goodreads page.

Now all you have to do is get following and get entering! Good luck to you all!

Read more »

Heaven by Christoph Marzi Review & international giveaway [Giveaway Ended]

2012-02-06T23:20:00.000Z

Heaven by Christoph Marzi

Rating:
Series: None
Pages: 416
Publisher: Hachette
Release date: 2nd February 2012
Buy: Book Depository | Amazon UK | Amazon US | Waterstones
Thank you to Hachette for my review copy

Goodreads synopsis:

The night that Heaven lost her heart was cold and moonless. But the blade that sliced it out was warm with her dark blood...

David Pettyfer is taking a shortcut over the dark rooftops of London's brooding houses, when he literally stumbles across Heaven: a strange, beautiful, distraught girl who says that bad men have stolen her heart. Yet she's still alive...

And so begins David and Heaven's wild, exciting and mysterious adventure - to find Heaven's heart, and to discover the incredible truth about her origins.

Part thriller, part love story and part fairy tale, this brilliantly original novel from a bestselling German author will take your breath away...

I was really looking forward to reading this one, and it definitely didn't disappoint me. The novel eases you in gently and so subtly, that by the time the plot begins to get a little stranger, and darker things begin to unfold, you are already accustomed to the oddity of it all, without really having realised how you got there. In this way, I suppose, you could say that the experience you have as the reader is very similar to David's - but not only do we easily accept the strange events - we also fall in love with Heaven.
And what wonderful characters David and Heaven are! They are so tangible and believable that I almost instantly fell in love with both of them, and knew that I wanted a happy ending for them - and this was when the story had only just begun. By the time their fairytale love story blossoms, I was completely besotted and didn't want the novel to end!

It wasn't just the good characters that I loved though - I've always had a bit of a soft spot for a 'good' villain as well, and Marzi certainly provides this in the form of Mr Scrooge (or whatever other Dickens-inspired name he is currently going by) and his mysterious client (whom I shall leave unnamed - you'll have to find out who it is for yourselves). Mr Scrooge, along with the 'Raggedy Man' provide the perfect antagonists for our heroes - mysterious, and ultimately more dangerous in the calm manner of their malice. They helped to provide the level of excitement that the novel offers.

I also loved the style of the novel. Within the first few chapters, I found myself saying things like "this reminds me of Neverwhere", and "It's like Neil Gaiman, only better" (not that I dislike, Mr Gaiman though - he certainly has his own charm and appeal). I hadn't yet noticed the quotes on the front of my review copy - one of which provides the very fitting phrase 'Gaiman-esque'. This is certainly true. By now, I am able to happily report that it is like a more finely refined mixture of Gaiman's Neverwhere and Stardust - and it is so beautifully written that the world and the characters in it simply stroll from the pages.

The setting is another element of the novel that makes it so thrilling. That the book is recognisably set in contemporary London makes it so exciting - that it's so close to home means that as a British reader, I almost feel as though I could live inside the book. But it's also London like you've never seen it before - not just from a fantastical point of view, with the disappearance of a fragment of the night sky, but also from a different view point: London from the rooftops, and London from the point of view of 'stowaways' attempting to find their place in the world.

There is a huge list of the many wonderful things I could mention about this novel, but this would take a long time, and in all honesty, I wouldn't want to tell you too much. I'm hoping that I've interested you in this book enough that you will decide to go out and buy it - it is certainly a delight and treasure of a novel, and one that will be sticking with me for a long time to come.

I'm very excited to be able to announce that, courtesy of the wonderful people at Hachette, I have one paperback copy of Heaven to give away to one lucky follower! The giveaway is also international, so extra, huge thanks go out again to the publishers for this wonderful prize.
Before you get entering, I'd like to lay a few rules and guidelines down before we start:

You must be a follower of Pen to Paper to enter. I will check that you are a follower if you are pulled out as a winner. I withhold the right to disqualify your entry if you are not a follower of the blog. This giveaway is for my wonderful followers - so make sure you become one of them :)
I will need your GFC follower name put into the extra info box in the Rafflecopter. Make sure you put in your exact follower name, as I search for this to confirm your entry if you're pulled out as a winner.
If you are chosen as a winner and I email you, you will have 48 hours to reply to the email. If I don't receive a reply in this time, I will have to draw another winner, and you will lose your prize - sorry but someone has to win!
Please don't leave your email address in the comments. I have trouble with this every time I do a giveaway. I use Rafflecopter so that your email addresses are not available to anyone but me (and only then if you win). This is for your own safety :)
There is one initial entry for following Pen to Paper and then there are extra entries possible for the giveaway after this. They are optional, but they could be the difference between someone else or you winning!
The giveaway will end on February 20th at 23:59 EST.

Blue Sky Days by Marie Landry Review [Blue Sky Days Blog Tour Day 1]

2012-02-06T01:06:00.000Z

Blue Sky Days by Marie Landry

Rating:
Series: None
Pages: 207
Publisher: Self-published
Release date: January 5th 2012
Buy: Smashwords | Amazon UK | Amazon US

Goodreads synopsis:
A year after graduating from high school, nineteen-year-old Emma Ward feels lost. She has spent most of her life trying to please her frigid, miserable mother - studying hard, getting good grades, avoiding the whole teenage rebellion thing - and now she feels she has no identity beyond that. Because she spent so many years working hard and planning every moment of her life, she doesn't have any friends, has never had a boyfriend, and basically doesn't know who she is or what she really wants from life. Working two part-time jobs to save money for college hasn't helped her make decisions about her future, so she decides it's time for a change. She leaves home to live with her free-spirited, slightly eccentric Aunt Daisy in a small town that makes Emma feel like she's stepped back in time.

When Emma meets Nicholas Shaw, everything changes - he's unlike anyone she's ever met before, the kind of man she didn't even know existed in the 21st century. Carefree and spirited like Daisy, Nicholas teaches Emma to appreciate life, the beauty around her, and to just let go and live. Between Daisy and Nicholas, Emma feels like she belongs somewhere for the first time in her life, and realizes that you don't always need a plan - sometimes life steers you where you're meant to be.

Life is wonderful, an endless string of blue sky days, until Nicholas is diagnosed with cancer, and life changes once again for Emma in ways she never thought possible. Now it's time for her to help Nicholas the way he's helped her. Emma will have to use her new-found strength, and discover along the way if love really is enough to get you through.

I definitely think I read this novel at the right time for me - I was in the perfect mood for it. When I started reading, I was definitely needing a light and easy read that would cheer me up, and that's certainly what I got. By the time I'd read the first 20% of the novel, I was feeling really positive and inspired. This was a feeling that was continued throughout most of the novel, even when the plot became complicated and somewhat darker, around the half-way point.

The characters are what makes this book unique. I found myself wishing and hoping that there are people like that who do exist, but the pessimist (or realist - whichever way you want to take it) knows that they just simply can't. The lack of reality in most of the characters though, didn't really detract from how much I ended up loving them. I allowed myself to become enveloped in their extendable love for a while, and I'll admit - it was wonderful.
There were a couple of characters that I found myself sometimes irritated with - oddly, one of these characters was the protagonist, Emma. I'm not sure that I can entirely explain why I felt the odd bubble of irritation towards her, but at times there was a hint of exasperation. Perhaps it was her sometimes overly dramatic reaction to certain things, I'm not sure. Taking the book as a light, not-meant-to-be-taken-seriously read though, I suppose that these little irritations should not really matter too much.

Saying this, there was one character that honestly, if I had a genie and three wishes at my disposal, I'd have had walking out of the novel and into my life - and that was Emma's Aunt, Daisy. Even though she is a little too flawless to be a truly realistic human being, she was a great character to read, and I'm sure a wonderful character to write as well. She's artistic, fun-loving, caring, generous, and quirky. She really is loveable.

The ending of the novel (although a little cheesy and cliche), was a fairly good one. It leaves the story open to a reader's own speculation, but is still light-hearted and cheerful enough to also leave them with the warm, cosy feeling that it starts off with. It gives a sense of completion without removing the illusion of the characters lives continuing beyond the novel.

If you feel the need for a light, warm and uplifting read, then definitely get this one downloaded onto your reading device - I'm certain that it will be what you're looking for!

I reviewed this book as part of the Blue Sky Days blog tour. Check back tomorrow for an interview with author, Marie Landry, and a chance to win an eBook copy of the novel!

In my Mailbox #17

2012-02-05T12:46:00.001Z

This week's post is, thankfully, a small one. I say thankfully because I still haven't received my new bookcase (that is coming on Tuesday morning), and there are already piles of books lying around with no home to go to, so it's perhaps a good idea that none of the books I received this week are physical books.
I would have had more to share with you if I hadn't had a migraine all day yesterday and ended up not travelling into Birmingham, like I'd planned. Instead, we're going on Friday, so next week's post will be a little more exciting.

eBooks (NetGalley): To review

Wrong Side of Dead by Kelly Meding
This is the first one I received from NetGalley this week, which is from Bantam at Random House Publishing. So thank you to them for accepting my request. The books has just been published, so I'm hoping to get it read and my review written fairly soon (although I do find myself saying that quite a lot - there are not enough hours in the day for reading).
I'm really looking forward to this one - it looks like just my kind of read.

Pure by Julianna Baggott
I honestly thought I had requested this one months ago, but when I went to check whether or not I had it, after Jenny at Chocolate Chunky Munkie reviewed it, I realised I was wrong, and immediately requested it. I'm really glad it was still available to request - especially after Jenny's wonderful review of it.

What books did you get in your mailbox this week? Let us know in the comments :)

Friday Recommends #18

2012-02-03T10:29:00.000Z

Follow Pen to Paper as host of the meme.
Please consider adding the blog hop button to your blog somewhere, so others can find it easily and join in too! Help spread the word! The code will be at the bottom of the post under the linky.
Pick a book that you've read, and have enjoyed enough to recommend to other readers. It can be a book you've read recently, or a book you read years ago - it's up to you - but make sure you tell us why you love the book (like a mini review). You make the post as long or as short as you like.
Add your blog to the linky at the bottom of this post after posting your blog post.
Put a link back to pen to paper (http://vogue-pentopaper.blogspot.com) somewhere in your post.
Visit the other blogs and enjoy!

Life and Laughing: My Story by Michael McIntyre

Goodreads synopsis:

Michael McIntyre is Britain's biggest comedy star. He has released two record-breaking DVDs, Live and Laughing and Hello Wembly; hosts his own BAFTA-nominated BBC1 series, Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow; and has picked up British Comedy Awards for Best Live Stand-Up and Best Male TV Comic. Last year he became the youngest ever host of the Royal Variety Performance, and now in 2011 he takes the hot seat as a judge in the hit ITV show Britain's Got Talent.

HOW DID HE GET THERE?

Michael reveals all in his remarkably honest and hilarious autobiography, Life & Laughing. His showbiz roots, his appalling attempts to attract the opposite sex, his fish-out-of-water move from public to state school and his astonishing journey from selling just one ticket at the Edinburgh Festival to selling half a million tickets on his last tour. Michael's story is riveting, poignant, romantic and above all very, very funny.

I don't usually read too much non-fiction. I try to read the autobiographies of the people I like, but I don't usually get very far - even if I really do love them - I even gave up on Jo Brand and Stephen Fry's autobiographies (although, I am now getting better at reading non-fiction, so perhaps I shall revisit them).
Michael McIntyre's book is one of the funniest I've ever read. I love his stand-up shows, and have even been to see him live, and his comedy is definitely present in the book.
I was instantly dragged in by his showbiz upbringing, the anecdotes of his failed attempts at wooing women, and the initial struggle to get his comedy career going. This career though, once it got going, he shot to fame quicker than I think I've seen any other comedian or performer before (in the UK, at least).

The book flowed really well and kept me interested all the way through, even stating at the end that he wouldn't talk about his quick shooting to fame because success isn't as interesting as the struggle.
His life has certainly been an interesting one, and it's definitely worth reading about!
Whether you've heard of him or not, you need to get yourself this book! (And if you've not heard of him yet, get yourselves onto youtube and check his stuff out: I can almost guarantee you'll love him!

What do you recommend this week? Join in with Friday Recommends and let us know!
Add your link below in the linky!

The Time Will Come #17

2012-02-02T17:10:00.000Z

Every Thursday, Books for Company hosts a meme in which we will post a book we really want to read, or have been meaning to take off our shelves and read for a while.

Want to join in?

Pick a book you have been meaning to read.
Do a post telling us about this book.
Link up the post in the Linky
Visit the other blogs!

Eve by Anna Carey

Goodreads synopsis:

The year is 2032, sixteen years after a deadly virus—and the vaccine intended to protect against it—wiped out most of the earth’s population. The night before eighteen-year-old Eve’s graduation from her all-girls school she discovers what really happens to new graduates, and the horrifying fate that awaits her.

Fleeing the only home she’s ever known, Eve sets off on a long, treacherous journey, searching for a place she can survive. Along the way she encounters Caleb, a rough, rebellious boy living in the wild. Separated from men her whole life, Eve has been taught to fear them, but Caleb slowly wins her trust...and her heart. He promises to protect her, but when soldiers begin hunting them, Eve must choose between true love and her life.

I bought this one about four months ago, after seeing it mentioned on another book blog. I really like the sound of it. I read the first couple of chapters and they were great, so hopefully the rest of the book will be as intriguing.
I've really started getting into Dystopian fiction, especially YA dystopia, so this one should be great!

Which books are you planning to read soon, that have been on that pesky TBR pile for far too long? Let me know in the comments :)

Young Adult giveaway hop Winner

2012-02-02T00:11:00.001Z

I love this part of a giveaway - being able to email a winner to let them know that a lovely, shiny, new book is on its way to them!
Pure bliss.

So, the Young Adult Giveaway Hop was an exciting one for me because I've recently gotten in to reading a lot more YA stuff - particularly YA Dystopian fiction. Love it.
So being able to share my love of this with someone else it great!

I'll stop my rambling now and get on with announcing the winner.
I'm so chuffed that the winner chose the book they did, as it was one of my favourite books of last year!
Congratulations to:

FireStarBooks

You have won your choice of a copy of Delirium by Lauren Oliver! Congrats!
If you want to visit the winner's blog, please click here.

Wishlist Wednesday #21

2012-02-01T00:32:00.001Z

Follow Pen to Paper as host of the meme.
Please consider adding the blog hop button to your blog somewhere, so others can find it easily and join in too! Help spread the word! The code will be at the bottom of the post under the linky.
Pick a book from your wishlist that you are dying to get to put on your shelves.
Do a post telling your readers about the book and why it's on your wishlist.
Add your blog to the linky at the bottom of this post.
Put a link back to pen to paper (http://vogue-pentopaper.blogspot.com) somewhere in your post.
Visit the other blogs and enjoy!

Wander Dust by Michelle Warren

Goodreads synopsis:
Ever since her sixteenth birthday, strange things keep happening to Seraphina Parrish.

The Lady in Black… burns Sera’s memories.

Unexplainable Premonitions… catapult her to other cities.

The Grungy Gang… wants to kill her.

And a beautiful, mysterious boy… stalks her.

But when Sera moves to Chicago, and her aunt reveals their family connection to a centuries old, secret society, she is immediately thrust into an unbelievable fantasy world, leading her on a quest to unravel the mysteries that plague her. In the end, their meanings crash into an epic struggle of loyalty and betrayal, and she’ll be forced to choose between the boy who has stolen her heart and the thing she desires most.

Wander Dust is the breathtaking fantasy that will catapult you through a story of time, adventure, and love.

I saw this one about a week and a half ago, something like that, on my friend Jodie's blog (Books For Company) and I really loved the look of it. I'll admit that it was this cover that caught my eye - it really is beautiful - but I never add anything to the wishlist for this alone. It sounds like a really interesting Young Adult read.
I really want this on my shelves, so I think I'm going to have to do a bit of hunting around for it - maybe I'll get it as a 21st birthday present from myself! I'm thinking that sounds like a great idea!

Top Ten Tuesday #12

2012-01-31T10:21:00.001Z

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. It was created because of a particular fondness towards lists. Each week, a new top ten question will be posted on the hosting blog for other blogs to join in with on their own blogs. All you need to do to join in is link back to the host somewhere on your post, and add your link to the linky list via the host.

This week's post is:

Top Ten Great Book Club Picks

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver: This is one that I read for my own book club, when I used to attend one during my gap year before University. I honestly thought I'd dislike the book immensely, but it has turned out to be one of my all-time favourites! And it definitely sparks a lot of discussion!

The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney: This is another one that I've read as part of a book club, and another that I was surprised by liking. I think this one is great for a book club because it's kind of, what we would call in Britain, a 'marmite' book: You either love it or you hate it. It definitely sparks discussion.

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro: This is without a doubt, in my top three favourite books of all time. I adore it. I think it would be a great read for a book club, again because there is plenty to talk about, and I think most people would enjoy it!

Soulless by Gail Carriger: I'd choose this one because it is quite unique, and it would certainly be something different for the book club that I used to attend (seeing as I was the youngest by a generation). It's a really fun and humorous read, and again, I don't think there would be many people that would dislike it.

blueeyedboy by Joanne Harris: This is another that will definitely spark some discussion! You read to about three quarters of the way through this one and all of a sudden, you don't know what's right and wrong - the whole thing pretty much gets flipped on its head! It's quite a shocking, but thrilling read!

Delirium by Lauren Oliver: Again, because it is so different. I read this back in the Summer and absolutely adored it - as has everyone I know who has read it, so I can't see it failing in a book club situation, really.

Room by Emma Donoghue: This one was a truly moving read, and I know I'm saying this for nearly every single one I'm choosing here, but there is a lot to talk about! I always think that successful book club reads need to be stunning, or provoke serious debate, and this does both, in my opinion!

Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde: This is a spectacular books by one of my favourite authors. I read Jasper's The Eyre Affair as my first proper adult book when I was about 12 or 13, and I really loved it. I'd had this one pre-ordered for about a month and then read it in a couple of days. I even went and met Jasper and had my copy signed. That was February 2009, so the second in the series has been a long time coming! This one would be great in a book club because it's definitely unique, and it takes you so far away from normality, that there is plenty to talk about!

The Book of Fires by Jane Borodale: This is one of the only Historical Fiction novels I've ever enjoyed. I think it has something to cater for everyone - there is the science of making Fireworks, the family relationships, subtle romance and a troublesome situation for the heroine. What more could you want?

The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson: I love it when I get to mention this book on the blog - it's an amazing read. Again, you have a little bit of everything: mystery, romance, historical settings, contemporary settings and truly great characters. I doubt it could get much better!

Musing Mondays #4

2012-01-30T18:44:00.000Z

This meme is hosted by Should be Reading.

Every week a new 'musing' question is posted by the host for all participants to answer in their own posts.

This week's musing is:

How far along are you in your current read before you start thinking about what you're going to read next?

I'm usually always considering what I'm going to be reading next. I think it may be because I just have so many books to read - review books or not - that I feel the need to plan ahead. For example, I already know that my next read is going to be The Guardian's Wildchild by Feather Stone, because this is one that I need to have a review posted for by February 10th, as part of the blog tour.
I also already know that the book I'm going to be reading after this one, is A Witch in Winter by Ruth Warburton, which is one of my review books from Hachette (you can also look forward to an author interview and giveaway attached to this).

On the rare occasions when I don't already know what I shall be reading next, I tend to start thinking about it from around the last 50 pages, if I think about it at all. I have been known to spend an hour or so choosing my next book when I've just finished another - it's not unheard of. But with over 600 unread books (including eBooks, I'll add), then this would take some time if there isn't already a plan of action in place!
I do like being able to plan my reading sometimes, but I'm hoping to get back to the stage where I have to spend an hour deciding again soon - it's very much like browsing your own personal library!

In my Mailbox #16

2012-01-29T17:00:00.003Z

This week's In My Mailbox isn't as impressive as my post last week, but I've still got some pretty exciting books to share with you all.
As usual, I'll share my physical books first and then finish with the eBooks.

Physical books

The Darkening Dream by Andy Gavin (For review from the author): This is Andy Gavin's debut novel. Before he wrote this, he worked for a video games company, which produced the bestselling series, Crash Bandicoot. I was really excited when Andy contacted me and asked me for a review. I'll definitely be reading and reviewing this one soon!

And When Did You Last See Your Father? by Blake Morrison: This is one that I'm reading for my Life Writing module at University this semester. I've read a little of it already and I'm liking it so far. Hopefully I'll enjoy the rest of it too!

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr: This one was a wishlist book that a friend sent to me during the week, which was really lovely of her! I'm really looking forward to reading it :)

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (signed edition): I don't usually buy too many hardbacks like this one, but I couldn't resist buying this signed copy from work. It sounds like a really interesting read, but I think I'll save it for after I've read his other book, Looking for Alaska, which I got a couple of weeks ago.

You Against Me by Jenny Downham (proof copy from work): We had a huge box full of different proof copies in the staff room when I went into work yesterday, and after I read Before I Die a couple of years ago, and loved it, I couldn't resist having this one!

The Last Vampire (& Black Blood) by Christopher Pike: This was pretty much an impulse buy from Amazon Marketplace. It cost me a grand total of £2.81, so I think you'll be able to understand! It's been on my wishlist for a while, so I'm glad to finally have it on my shelves (or it'll be on shelves when I get my new bookcase!).

eBooks for Review (from NetGalley)

After the Snow by S. D. Crockett: This sounds like a great read, that has a bit of everything. I'm hoping it'll be a really interesting story of exploration.

Life is But a Dream by Brian James: This one looks like a really different read to my usual books, so I'm really looking forward to trying it out!

Endure by Carrie Jones: This is the fourth in the series. I still have the other three to read, but I'm hoping I like the others enough to get around to reading this one some time this year.

That's pretty much it for this week. What did you get through your mailboxes this week? Let us know in the comments!

Pen to Paper: The New Look!

2012-01-28T21:21:00.014Z

As you may have noticed - especially if you've been hanging around Pen to Paper for a while now - that Friday night saw a completely new design for the blog!
My wonderful boyfriend, Matt, has been working on this for me for quite a while, but we decided that the first design was not quite what I had imagined for the blog, and something a little different than what we had originally planned would be better. After a rough sketch that we worked on together earlier in the week, the design is finally finished, and I have to say, I absolutely adore it!

If you all don't mind, I'm going to tell you a little bit about my boyfriend and his work, and I hope you'll head over and take a look at some of his other stuff on his tumblr blog.
Matt studied a degree in Visual Communication, specialising in illustration, which he graduated from with a 2:1 with honours in June 2011. Since then he has illustrated a Children's picture book, which was written by his Dad, and is hoping to have published, or get self-published in the very near future. I will, of course, be letting you all know when this is available, so you can take a look!
Apart from illustrating this book, he has worked on other, smaller projects, such as album covers, promotional posters (for my own University award - see the Wonder Woman poster on his blog), and other such personal projects in order to build up his portfolio. One of his pieces was even featured on the MTV programme 'A Tribute to Ryan Dunn'!
The design for Pen to Paper is just the latest project in his ever-increasing portfolio of work!

You can click on my blog button image at the top of this post to visit his tumblr, or CLICK HERE.

What I decided I wanted for the new blog design was an element of fantasy and fairy tale. I don't always review fantasy novels on the blog, as you may well know, but they are my preferred genre, so I wanted something that would reflect that. I love reading urban fantasy, and have a real soft-spot for werewolves or any other shapeshifters (plus, I just love wolves in general), so the wolf howling at the moon, no matter how cliché, was a must! I also knew that I wanted book-butterflies - or bookerflies, as I have taken to calling them - somewhere in the design. Originally these were going to be lounging around on the top of some flowers, but I think what Matt decided to do with the toadstools is perfect - there aren't many things that scream 'fairy tale' louder than a toadstool. Add to that a sprinkling of fairy dust and some enchanted-looking, knarled, old trees, and you have the perfect Pen to Paper recipe. You may see a few tweaks to the design over the next few weeks as we settle into the new look, but I hope you like the look as much as we do!

I can't publish this post without giving a nod to Vicky from Books, Biscuits & Tea. Vicky not only runs this wonderful book blog, but she also runs a blog that designs blog layouts for other bloggers such as ourselves.
Her design blog is called Sweet Dreams Design, and although she's only just started out, it's already obvious that her work is really beautiful.
As you already know, Matt designed the new blog header, page buttons, background (although this may be changed soon) and blog button - Vicky, however, was the one who put the whole thing together. And it's put together so beautifully.

You can visit her design blog by clicking the image, and you can visit her book blog by clicking here.

So, what do you guys all think of the new blog design? I feel like the new look has given the blog another step up, and hopefully now we will now continue to grow!

Giveaway Winners Update!

2012-01-28T20:07:00.002Z

Seeing as I've been having loads of giveaways again, I've decided to do another compacted giveaway winners post, so here it is!

I'll start off with the winners of the Rachel McClellan Fractured Light giveaway.
The winner of the copy of Fractured Light by Rachel McClellan is:
Sherry Hsu!

And the second winner, who won a beautiful necklace, engraved with ETTE (endure to the end) is:
Amanda!

Congratulations to you both!

The winner of the Young Adult Faeries and Fantasy giveaway hop, who won their choice of a copy of Ash by Malinda Lo was:
Melora!

Congratulations! :)

The winner of the Dreaming of Books giveaway hop, who won their choice of a copy of Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder was:
Kelly!

Congratulations! This was my favourite read of 2011, so I really hope you enjoy it!

So that's all for the winners announcements at the moment. I will do my best to get on top of these announcements again now :)
Well done to everyone who won these giveaways and commiserations to those who didn't win. There are plenty more giveaways on the way though - fear not!

Friday Recommends #17

2012-01-27T19:17:00.003Z

Follow Pen to Paper as host of the meme.
Please consider adding the blog hop button to your blog somewhere, so others can find it easily and join in too! Help spread the word! The code will be at the bottom of the post under the linky.
Pick a book that you've read, and have enjoyed enough to recommend to other readers. It can be a book you've read recently, or a book you read years ago - it's up to you - but make sure you tell us why you love the book (like a mini review). You make the post as long or as short as you like.
Add your blog to the linky at the bottom of this post after posting your blog post.
Put a link back to pen to paper (http://vogue-pentopaper.blogspot.com) somewhere in your post.
Visit the other blogs and enjoy!

Shakespeare's Landlord by Charlaine Harris

Goodreads synopsis:
Disguising herself with short hair and baggy clothes, Lily Bard has started over in the sleepy town of Shakespeare, Arkansas, where - working as a cleaning lady - she can sweep away the secrets of her dark and violent past...

When Lily discovers the dead body of her nosy landlord, her plan to live a quiet, unobserved life starts to crumble. Lily doesn't care who did it. But as the unwanted attentions of the police chief and a suspicious community fall on her, she soon realizes if she doesn't unmask the murderer, her life might do more than crumble... it might end.

It has been far too long since I last mentioned the lovely Charlaine Harris, so I couldn't resist doing another Friday Recommends on another of her books!
Shakespeare's Landlord is the first in the Lily Bard series, one of Charlaine's earlier 'Cosy Crime' series. I know what you may be thinking, because I thought it too when I first saw the series: "A girl with the surname Bard, living in a place called Shakespeare? Cheesy!" - all is explained though, and it ends up making perfect sense!

I think the reason that I end up falling so in love with all of Charlaine's books is because of the characters - there is never a character that isn't meticulously developed. Although I think either Sookie Stackhouse or Harper Connelly are my favourite of her protagonists, Lily comes close to them! She's strong-minded, independent, intelligent and frankly, 'kick-ass'! There aren't many female protagonists that you will come across that are as strong as Lily!

The mysteries are also intriguing in this series. I've only read this one, and the second, Shakespeare's Champion, so far, but I have loved them both and know I will continue to love the entire series! The plots are always well-developed and there are no loose ends by the end of the novel. Even though they are relatively short reads, nothing is wasted in them, and they are packed with excitement!

If you've not come across any of Charlaine's novels, or you've read her newer series, but are yet to pick up her earlier ones, I definitely recommend that you start with this one!
Charlaine has never once disappointed me!

What do you recommend this week? Join in with Friday Recommends and let us know!
Add your link below in the linky!

Young Adult Giveaway Hop International [Ended]

2012-01-26T21:13:00.000Z

I've been looking forward to this giveaway for a while now. Some of you may have noticed that I've recently had a bit of a thing for YA books, so it's obvious that I would be excited about giving one away to one of you guys!
This wonderful giveaway hop is hosted by Kathy at I am a Reader, Not a Writer. You can click here to view the other participating blogs.

As per usual, I'll be giving you a selection of books that the winner can choose from for their prize. But before showing you this wonderful list, I'd like to lay down a few rules for the giveaway.

You must be a follower of Pen to Paper to enter. I will check that you are a follower if you are pulled out as a winner. I withhold the right to disqualify your entry if you are not a follower of the blog. This giveaway is for my wonderful followers - so become one of them :)
I will need your GFC follower name put into the extra info box in the Rafflecopter. Make sure you put in your exact follower name, as I search for this to confirm your entry if you're pulled out as a winner.
If you are chosen as a winner and I email you, you will have 48 hours to reply to the email. If I don't receive a reply in this time, I will have to draw another winner, and you will lose your prize - sorry but someone has to win!
Please don't leave your email address in the comments. I have trouble with this every time I do a giveaway. I use Rafflecopter so that your email addresses are not available to anyone but me (and only then if you win). This is for your own safety :)
There is one initial entry for following Pen to Paper and then there are extra entries possible for the giveaway after this. They are optional, but they could be the difference between someone else or you winning!
The giveaway will end on January 31st at 23:59 EST.

So now for the fun part: the book selection! You are able to click on each image to view the goodreads page and read the synopsis for each title.

All that's left to do now is make sure you're following, and get yourselves entered! Good luck to you all :)

Can't see the GFC follower box on the left sidebar? Head to www.pentopaperblog.com

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Time Will Come #16

2012-01-26T15:57:00.004Z

Every Thursday, Books for Company hosts a meme in which we will post a book we really want to read, or have been meaning to take off our shelves and read for a while.

Want to join in?

Pick a book you have been meaning to read.
Do a post telling us about this book.
Link up the post in the Linky
Visit the other blogs!

Kitty Goes to Washington by Carrie Vaughn

Goodreads synopsis:
Celebrity werewolf and late-night radio host Kitty Norville prefers to be heard and not seen. So when she's invited to testify at a Senate hearing on behalf of supernaturals, and her face gets plastered on national TV, she inherits a new set of friends, and enemies, including the vampire mistress of the city; an über-hot Brazilian were-jaguar; and a Bible-thumping senator who wants to expose kitty as a monster. Kitty quickly learns that in this city of dirty politicians and backstabbing pundits, everyone's itching for a fight.

I really loved the first in this series, so I keep meaning to pick this one up, and carry on with the series. I don't know why I haven't done it yet, but I think when I've managed to get through some of the review books I have, I'll read this one! Can't wait to see how the series develops - especially after how Kitty and the Midnight Hour ended!

Which books are you planning to read soon, that have been on that pesky TBR pile for far too long? Let me know in the comments :)

Wishlist Wednesday #20

2012-01-25T00:52:00.000Z

Follow Pen to Paper as host of the meme.
Please consider adding the blog hop button to your blog somewhere, so others can find it easily and join in too! Help spread the word! The code will be at the bottom of the post under the linky.
Pick a book from your wishlist that you are dying to get to put on your shelves.
Do a post telling your readers about the book and why it's on your wishlist.
Add your blog to the linky at the bottom of this post.
Put a link back to pen to paper (http://vogue-pentopaper.blogspot.com) somewhere in your post.
Visit the other blogs and enjoy!

Flying Blind by Deborah Cooke

Goodreads synosis:

The next generation of shape-shifting dragons from the popular author of the Dragonfire novels.

Zoë Sorensson is perfectly normal, except she's been told she's destined for great things. Zoë's the one female dragon shapeshifter of her kind. But Zoë is at the bottom of the class when it comes to being Pyr and her powers are AWOL, so she's sent to a Pyr boot camp.

Zoë quickly realizes that she has to master her powers yesterday, because the Pyr are in danger and boot camp is a trap. The Mages want to eliminate all shifters and the Pyr are next in line-unless Zoë and her friends can work together and save their own kind.

I added this one to my wishlist only a couple of days ago. It definitely looks like something that's a little different from what I've read previously, so I'm looking forward to making some room for it on my shelves!
I have a bit of a thing for novels about shapeshifters (call it a guilty pleasure, if you want), and this one definitely has a difference to the usual wolves, cats or other such creatures! I hope it lives up to my expectations!

What's on your wishlist this week? Take part in the meme and let us all know!

The Vampire Diaries: Stefan's Diaries books 1-4 international giveaway [Ended]

2012-01-24T20:11:00.004Z

Are you a fan of the Vampire Diaries, like me? Then you're in for a bit of a treat!
I am incredibly excited about this, guys! I have been speaking to the wonderful people at Hachette, who have offered the followers of Pen to Paper (new and old) an absolutely wonderful prize!
I have books 1-4 of The Vampire Diaries: Stefan's Diaries to give away to one lucky follower! I'm delighted to be able to make this giveaway international as well, which is wonderful news for all of you!
I'm a huge Vampire Diaries fan, and have these books to read myself, so I hope you'll get following Pen to Paper (if you're not already) and enter.
The books on offer, if you don't know what they are already, are below. Click on each image to view the Goodreads page and read each synopsis.

I'm going to have to get serious for a moment, guys, and lay down the rules & guidelines for the giveaway.

You must be a follower of Pen to Paper to enter. I will check that you are a follower if you are pulled out as a winner. I withhold the right to disqualify your entry if you are not a follower of the blog. This giveaway is for my wonderful followers - so become one of them :)
I will need your GFC follower name put into the extra info box in the Rafflecopter. Make sure you put in your exact follower name, as I search for this to confirm your entry if you're pulled out as a winner.
If you are chosen as a winner and I email you, you will have 48 hours to reply to the email. If I don't receive a reply in this time, I will have to draw another winner, and you will lose your prize - sorry but someone has to win!
Please note that when I email you, I will ask you for your address, which I will then pass on to Hachette (and only Hachette) so that they can send your prize off to you.
Please don't leave your email address in the comments. I have trouble with this every time I do a giveaway. I use Rafflecopter so that your email addresses are not available to anyone but me (and only then if you win). This is for your own safety :)
There is one initial entry for following Pen to Paper and then there are extra entries possible for the giveaway after this. They are optional, but they could be the difference between someone else or you winning!
The giveaway will end on February 8th at 23:59 EST. I've chosen this date because it is my 21st birthday (just in case you wanted to wish me a happy one ;P)

So, all you need to do now is click that wonderful GFC follow button, and enter yourselves in the Rafflecopter form below! Good luck to you all - and don't forget about those precious extra entries! And try not to get too distracted by the photo at the top of the post ;)

Top Ten Tuesday #11

2012-01-24T18:39:00.007Z

This week's post is a freebie, so I've decided to post:

Top Ten Books I pleasantly surprised by

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver: This was one that I read back in 2009 when I joined a book club, during my gap year between school and University. When it was pulled out as the next month's book, I was disappointed, but the point of going to the book club was to read books I wouldn't otherwise have read; to try new things. I'm glad I read this now - it's one of my all-time favourites!

The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney: Another book club book that I was dreading reading, but ended up quite liking. I would say it's a four star read for me.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan: I really don't like zombies, but when my good friend, Jenny (from Chocolate Chunky Munkie) read and loved it, she continually ~~bugged me~~ tried to persuade me to read it. I am glad that I read it and will be reading the others in the series. Probably another four star one for me.

Freefall by Kristen Heitzmann: This was one that was sent around a book circle last year (if you're interested in finding out what the book circle is, feel free to email me and ask :P). It's classed as Christian fiction, so as an Atheist, I was a little wary. I did really enjoy it though. I didn't think the religious messages in it were too prominent and the plot and characters were so well-developed that it was a really exciting read! Another four star one!

Atonement by Ian McEwan: I spent years avoiding this novel (and all other books by the author), but I can't really explain why. I suppose they just didn't look like my kind of thing. I had to read this as an introductory novel when I started University though, and I quite enjoyed it. And this one is definitely better than the film!

Death of a Gossip by M. C. Beaton: Crime is not a genre I usually go for, let alone 'Cosy Crime' like ms. Beaton, but I actually really enjoyed this. It was light-hearted and fun. I'll definitely be reading more of hers in the future. This was also the first eBook I ever read, so it holds a special place in my heart ;P

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen: When I saw this one for the first time, I thought "a novel about the circus? How can that be entertaining?" Genuinely, that was what I thought. But I'd been given a copy, so I thought I'd give it a go, and I loved it! You may have noticed that it was in my top ten reads for 2011!

Life & Laughing by Michael McIntyre: It's not that I don't love Micheal, because I really do - he's my favourite comedian - I just don't usually get along with non-fiction of any kind. His autobiography was recommended to me by a close friend though, so trusting her opinions, I tried it out, and I adored it. He's had such an interesting and showbiz life! Definitely worth a read - whether you've heard of him or not!

The Weight of Water by Sarah Crossan: This is one I reviewed for Bloomsbury last week. When I saw that the press release information said that it was the link between poetry and fiction, I was a little dubious, but I always say I will give anything a go once, so I tried it, and I loved it, reading it in just two sittings! I really recommend getting hold of a copy of this. You can read my review HERE.

Fatherland by Robert Harris: I keep returning to these book club reads - this is another one! I thought it would be a really difficult, uninteresting and rather depressing read - what if Hitler had won? "What a depressing topic", I thought. This was anything but uninteresting, though! Another four star one for me. Give it a go!

In my Mailbox #15

2012-01-23T20:50:00.002Z

Instead of posting this in my usual Sunday slot, I am (obviously) posting it a day late. This is because I was busier than I thought I would be yesterday and have not had time to sit down and write this post until now. The main reason for this will become clear once you see the amount of books I received in the past week!

Thankfully, I only received two eBooks in the last week, so as usual, I will put these at the end of the post. But first, we have a mountain (yes, definitely a small mountain - or a large hill at the very least) of physical books to get through. I received quite a few review copies from publishers during the week and I went book shopping with Jenny from Chocolate Chunky Munkie, and this is the result of these two things. Prepare yourselves - I think this may be a personal record!

Book Shopping with Jen & Julie in Birmingham

More Book Lust by Nancy Pearl (From Jenny at Chocolate Chunky Munkie - Thanks Jen :D)

A Place of Secrets by Rachel Hore

The Knife of Never Letting Go & The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness

Cold Magic by Kate Elliott

Succubus Blues by Richelle Mead

Grave Witch by Kalayna Price

My Name is Memory by Ann Brashares

Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

Black Swan Rising by Lee Carroll

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Bought elsewhere

Night's Edge by Charlaine Harris & others
Catching Fire & Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Torn by Cat Clarke

For review

From work: The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

From Pan Macmillan: Switched by Amanda Hocking

From Bloomsbury: The Weight of Water by Sarah Crossan

Fracture by Megan Miranda

From Hachette: Slated by Teri Terry

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Heaven by Christoph Marzi

A Witch in Winter by Ruth Warburton

From the author: Changeling Moon by Dani Harper (won from her blog)

Thank you to all these publishers for my wonderful review copies - I'm really grateful for all of them. I have already reviewed The Weight of Water, the review for which can be read HERE.

eBooks (From NetGalley) for review

I'm very pleased to say that this week, Carina Press set my NetGalley profile to auto-approve, and these are the first two titles I've received with this:

Don't Bite the Messenger by Regan Summers

Blood of the Pride by Sheryl Nantus

Author interview with Molly Snow BeSwitched blog tour: Day two

2012-01-23T03:10:00.000Z

Earlier this month, some of you may have noticed that I posted Pen to Paper's first post in the BeSwitched blog tour, which was a guest post from author, Molly Snow, in which she listed the four book series that she grew up with and what each of them taught her about writing. If you missed this post, click here to read it now!

Now though, it's time for another exciting blog tour post from Molly, and this time we get to sit down to have a chat with Molly herself! So, I'm delighted to be able to welcome Molly back to Pen to Paper!

First of all, would you be able to tell us a little something about yourself?
I grew up in the Bay Area of California and recently moved to Idaho—the land of potatoes. But that’s not all they have. I really love it here, for the fact that it is not as crowded and the cost of living is lower.

Who are your favourite author(s), and what makes them so special?
Dani, this might sound strange, but as a writer, I do not currently have a favorite author. I love to skip around and read whatever topics interest me, by whomever. I also read mostly non-fiction, so that’s probably surprising. My favorite author as a teen was R.L. Stine. I loved his Fear Street Series.

Which book would you say stands out as your favourite childhood novel?
Love at First Bite by R.L. Stine was a memorable one for me. The vampire guy really drew me in.

Do you have a favourite book in adulthood?
I have yet to reread a book. When the day comes that I read a book more than once, then I will know! :-)

Which author(s) do you think have the biggest influence on your own writing?
Roald Dahl, because of James and the Giant Peach. I loved the way James’ aunts were described. They were so vivid and over-the-top. That story may have made me feel free to write Idis the witch in The BeSwitched Series as a kook. I remember thinking about Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker when introducing Idis.

Have you always wanted to be a writer? What was it that convinced you to finally put Pen to Paper?
I wrote my first substantial story when I was in the 4th grade, called “The Journey for the Most Valuable Pearl.” It was about indians that lived inside of a mountain, and some teens found an entrance. It was 117 pages penciled in on a Steno notepad.

What inspired the Beswitched series?
Switching lives. To this day, I love stories that have a switch. I can’t help myself. I think I like the concept of being able to put yourself in someone else’s shoes. My husband makes fun of me all the time--“It has a switcharoo! Molly will like it!”

For anyone who hasn't come across your books before, what would you tell them makes your books worth reading (in your opinion)?
I let loose with my imagination. I truly had fun writing the books, and I think that it shines through.

Do you have any phobias?
Cockroaches. They are so disgusting, oh my gosh.

Are you a tea drinker or a coffee drinker?
I drink mint herbal tea. It goes great with Chinese food!

If you could spend one day doing anything you wanted - anything at all - what would your perfect day consist of?
A Pedicure, massages, writing, playing with my twins and husband. Someone would definitely be making me meals and cleaning my place for me.

Other than reading and writing, what are your other hobbies?
I coupon. I have saved so much money since starting to use coupons back in March. I used to be obsessed in the beginning with it.

Do you have any odd habits?
I just asked my husband to help me with this question. He says the fact that I don’t clean is an odd habit. Does that even count? To defend myself, though, I hate cleaning and I will make myself do it... I just dread it.

What are the simple things in life that make you smile?
Seeing my boys hug each other. Watching comedies at night.

And finally, could you tell us an odd or interesting fact about yourself?
I snort when I laugh a lot. And I get into laughing fits, where I cannot stop myself. Once I’m on a roll, it is out of my control. It can be very embarrassing, but the fact that I know I look stupid, cracks me up more.

Thank you so much for coming over to visit us at Pen to Paper again Molly, it's been a real pleasure having you here!

Purchase the eBook of BeSwitched, book one in the series:

Smashwords | Amazon.com | Amazon UK

Or purchase a print copy:

Breezy Reads Book Store

Purchase the eBook:

Smashwords | Amazon.com | Amazon UK

or purchase a print copy:

Breezy Reads Book Store

Friday Recommends #16

2012-01-20T02:14:00.000Z

So it's Friday again, and that means another exciting Friday Recommends!
This is an exciting book blog hop that book bloggers can take part in once a week to share with their followers, the books that they most recommend reading!

I apologise for the lack of Friday Recommends over the Christmas period - unfortunately things have not been going smoothly for me over this time. I am doing my best to get back on track now though! :)

The rules for Friday Recommends are:

Follow Pen to Paper as host of the meme.
Please consider adding the blog hop button to your blog somewhere, so others can find it easily and join in too! Help spread the word! The code will be at the bottom of the post under the linky.
Pick a book that you've read, and have enjoyed enough to recommend to other readers. It can be a book you've read recently, or a book you read years ago - it's up to you - but make sure you tell us why you love the book (like a mini review). You make the post as long or as short as you like.
Add your blog to the linky at the bottom of this post after posting your blog post.
Put a link back to pen to paper (http://vogue-pentopaper.blogspot.com) somewhere in your post.
Visit the other blogs and enjoy!

Noughts & Crosses by Malorie Blackman

Goodreads synopsis:
Two young people are forced to make a stand in this thought-provoking look at racism and prejudice in an alternate society.

Sephy is a Cross -- a member of the dark-skinned ruling class. Callum is a Nought -- a “colourless” member of the underclass who were once slaves to the Crosses. The two have been friends since early childhood, but that’s as far as it can go. In their world, Noughts and Crosses simply don’t mix. Against a background of prejudice and distrust, intensely highlighted by violent terrorist activity, a romance builds between Sephy and Callum -- a romance that is to lead both of them into terrible danger. Can they possibly find a way to be together?
In this gripping, stimulating and totally absorbing novel, black and white are right and wrong.

The first time I read this novel, I think I was about 12 years old, and I still remember how much I loved it the first time around. I recently re-read this for my Children's fiction module at University, and my love for it has definitely been rekindled.

The novel is classed as Teen/YA, but I honestly think that any adult can get enjoyment out of it as well. As I said, I was 12 the first time I read it, but I think I actually enjoyed reading it more at nearly 21. It's classed as dystopian fiction, which is a genre that I've come to really enjoy over the past few months - but it is unlike any of the other dystopias I've read. The world it's set in is definitely recognisable as close to our own western world, but turned on its head. This is how it makes its statements about racial equality. It poses the questions, "What if it was the other way around? What if white people were the ones fighting for equality?", and the answer that I have drawn from this is that it would have been pretty much the same. This, I think, is the statement it makes: We are equal because we all react in exactly the same ways.
I'm not going to go too deeply into this though - I'd want you guys to pick up the book, read it, and then think about it for yourselves. My own discussions on this are for the university classrooms.

The novel isn't just about the issues of racial equality though - there is also the 'Romeo and Juliet' style romance. I know from reading Malorie Blackman's website that this was not intentional, but it is something that definitely exists within the novel. Sephy and Callum's romance is one that was never destined to be easy - with prejudice and politics getting in the way, life was never going to be simple, and as much as we want it to, they are never going to have the life that they had envisioned together. Again, I don't want to say too much about this, but if you read the novel, I'm certain you'll see what I mean!

I'm hoping to be able to find the time to re-read the second in this series, Knife Edge, soon, which I also read when I was younger (although I think I may have been about 14 by the time this one was released). I remember a fair amount about Knife Edge - enough to be able to assure you that the series carries on well after Noughts & Crosses concludes. Hopefully I will be able to read the entire series before the end of 2012.
I hope you decide to give this one a go - it's definitely worth it!

What do you recommend this week? Join in with Friday Recommends and let us know!
Add your link below in the linky!

The Weight of Water by Sarah Crossan Review

2012-01-19T22:20:00.007Z

The Weight of Water by Sarah Crossan

Rating:
Series: None
Pages: 228
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Release date: January 5th 2012
Buy: Book Depository | Amazon UK | Waterstones | Amazon US

Thank you to Bloomsbury for my review copy

Goodreads synopsis:
Armed with a suitcase and an old laundry bag filled with clothes, Kasienka and her mother leave Poland and head for the UK to find her father. Life is lonely for Kasienka. At home her mother's heart is breaking and at school Kasienka finds it impossible to make new friends. While the search continues, Kasienka is kept afloat by William, a boy she meets at the local pool who understands what it means to lose someone and who swims with Kasienka towards her new life.

When I received this book to review from Bloomsbury, I knew it would be entirely different from anything I've read before - poetry and prose alike. In the press release that I received with the book, one of the first things it says about the book is: "The line between poetry and fiction blurs in this startlingly original book. Crossan deftly tackles subjects of immigration and bullying through her narrator Kasienka". When I read this, I'll admit that I may have been a little skeptical, as you may be, now knowing that the book is a collection of poems - but this skepticism was unnecessary; I absolutely loved it, and I implore you to try it!

This book definitely has a lot to say, not just about the issues it deals with, but also about popular literary forms. I always feel as though poetry has certain labels attached to it, particularly with teenagers - I find that a lot of teens associate it with school and academic study, but not as something that they would read for pleasure. Crossan shows though, that poetry can not only be understandable and non-threatening, but also fun to read and as poignant as any novel.
The poems flowed really well from one into another, so the story didn't feel broken or disjointed at any stage, but it was still easy to dip in and out of the book as I needed to.

Kasienka was a wonderful narrator - she made the poetry feel less like verse and more like a series of diary entries or a stream of consciousness. Through the intimacy of the poetic form, the reader is allowed further into Kasienka's thoughts, and given a deeper understanding of her feelings, than I think could have been communicated through prose. It was wonderful being able to watch her life evolve, moving from poem to poem, and being able to experience this with her. The poetry evokes such power emotions, that by the end of the collection, it's easy to believe in her story of pain, struggle and unshaken optimism and courage.
As someone who has grown up in and lived in Britain all my life, it gave me an opportunity to see life in this country from a different perspective, and begin to understand what it must be like for a young person moving into Britain and being forced to try to adapt.
Kasienka shows such courage and strength of character, despite her awful situation, that she becomes a great figure of inspiration by the end of the collection.

Although for me this is not a particularly important aspect of a book, I feel it must be mentioned; the book's cover art is, in my opinion, really attractive. Having worked in a bookshop for two years now, I have learned to recognise the styles of some of the major children's illustrators, so I was excited to receive a book like this, illustrated by the wonderful Oliver Jeffers, whose book Lost and Found is one of the prettiest picture books I've seen in a long time.
As I said, I don't feel that the cover art is usually an important part of the book, but I feel Oliver Jeffers is one worth mentioning.

Overall, I was surprised, after my initial expectations, by just how much I enjoyed reading this. It was beautiful, poignant, compelling and potent, and I think it will stay in my mind for quite some time yet. If you don't believe that a collection of poems could be this powerful, then definitely get yourself a copy and read it for yourself. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

The Time Will Come #15

2012-01-19T13:43:00.003Z

Every Thursday, Books for Company hosts a meme in which we will post a book we really want to read, or have been meaning to take off our shelves and read for a while.

Want to join in?

Pick a book you have been meaning to read.
Do a post telling us about this book.
Link up the post in the Linky
Visit the other blogs!

Before I start, I'm going to apologise for having not posted this in a while. As I've said on other posts, I'm still trying to get everything back on track.

The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde

Goodreads synopsis:
In the good old days, magic was powerful, unregulated by government, and even the largest spell could be woven without filling in the magic release form B1-7g. But somewhere, somehow, the magic started draining away.

Jennifer Strange runs Kazam!, an employment agency for state-registered magicians, soothsayers and sorceresses. But work is drying up. Drain cleaner is cheaper and quicker than a spell. Why trust a cold and drafty magic carpet when jetliners offer a comfy seat and an in-flight movie? And now potions are eligible for VAT...

But then the visions start. The Last Dragon is going to be killed by a Dragonslayer at 12.00 on Sunday. The death will unleash untold devastation on the UnUnited Kingdom, setting principality against dukedom and property developer against homesteader. And all the signs are pointing to Jennifer Strange, and saying"Big Magic is coming!"

The Last Dragonslayer is fizzing with all the creativity and genius Jasper Fforde's fans delight in, and will appeal as much to the young at heart as to the younger readers for whom it is written.

I absolutely adore Jasper Fforde, and this is his first YA series, so I won't be able to resist it for much longer! It will be my younger brother's copy of the book that I'll be reading, so a thanks in advance to him! I'm paying him back though - I'm off to the Fforde Ffiesta in Swindon, in June, with Jenny from Chocolate Chunky Munkie, so I'll be able to hopefully get his books signed for him. I met Jasper back in 2009 at a Shades of Grey signing, and got that and The Eyre Affair signed, so I feel like it's my brother's turn to have signed books!
The Fforde Ffiesta is also the reason I am posting this one as this week's The Time Will Come - I'm extremely excited about the event, so how could I fail to post about one of his?

Anyway, I can't wait to read it - I reckon it's going to be a good one!

Which books are you planning to read soon, that have been on that pesky TBR pile for far too long? Let me know in the comments :)

Wishlist Wednesday #19

2012-01-17T23:13:00.003Z

Follow Pen to Paper as host of the meme.
Please consider adding the blog hop button to your blog somewhere, so others can find it easily and join in too! Help spread the word! The code will be at the bottom of the post under the linky.
Pick a book from your wishlist that you are dying to get to put on your shelves.
Do a post telling your readers about the book and why it's on your wishlist.
Add your blog to the linky at the bottom of this post.
Put a link back to pen to paper (http://vogue-pentopaper.blogspot.com) somewhere in your post.
Visit the other blogs and enjoy!

Spider's Bite by Jennifer Estep

Goodreads synosis:
My name is Gin, and I kill people.

They call me the Spider. I'm the most feared assassin in the South — when I'm not busy at the Pork Pit cooking up the best barbecue in Ashland. As a Stone elemental, I can hear everything from the whispers of the gravel beneath my feet to the vibrations of the soaring Appalachian Mountains above me. My Ice magic also comes in handy for making the occasional knife. But I don't use my powers on the job unless I absolutely have to. Call it professional pride.

Now that a ruthless Air elemental has double-crossed me and killed my handler, I'm out for revenge. And I'll exterminate anyone who gets in my way — good or bad. I may look hot, but I'm still one of the bad guys. Which is why I'm in trouble, since irresistibly rugged Detective Donovan Caine has agreed to help me. The last thing this coldhearted killer needs when I'm battling a magic more powerful than my own is a sexy distraction...especially when Donovan wants me dead just as much as the enemy.

I actually only came across this one yesterday. I was browsing a fellow blogger's site that I'd just come across, and the top post was a review of the fifth in this series. After reading the review, I decided it looked great, and promptly added the first in the series to my wishlist. It's only available for eReader in the UK unless ordered from the Book Dep, but as I already have a fairly large pile at the moment, I'm going to hold off getting it for a while. When I've knocked a few off the to-read mountain, then I will probably download it for my Kindle.
I think it sounds like a really interesting series, although a little like Rachel Caine's Weather Warden series, the first of which (Ill Wind) I read during the summer and really loved.
Hopefully it will be different enough from that though!

What's on your wishlist this week? Take part in the meme and let us all know!

Musing Mondays #3

2012-01-16T11:26:00.004Z

This meme is hosted by Should be Reading.
Every week a new 'musing' question is posted by the host for all participants to answer in their own posts.

This week's musing is:

What devices - if any - do you read books on? Do you find it enjoyable, or still somewhat bothersome? Or: if you only read the print books, why haven't you chosen to read on any devices?

I have owned a Kindle now for a little under a year, and I have to say that I do love it - I never thought I would. For so long I had been strongly opposed to them, and thought I would never buy into any of them. However, a friend of mine (Jenny at Chocolate Chunky Munkie) got one, and raved about how good it was, so it was then that I started weighing up the pros and cons of an eReader. Cons such as, you don't have the feel of the pages when you turn them, or the 'character' of the book (weight, size, aesthetic, print type and size etc), and you can't display it proudly on your bookshelves. However, the pros eventually outweighed the cons: I could get books that I wouldn't otherwise be able to read (because they're from a smaller American publisher, or something like that), they are often cheaper, it takes a little weight off my already-overflowing bookshelves (although since I've had an eReader, I still buy as many, if not more, paperbacks) etc. Another pro point for the Kindle has arrived since I've started this blog - I can read and review much more for authors and publishers alike - NetGalley has been a real treasure over the past few months - and I wouldn't have been able to read all of these ARCs without my trusty Kindle!

I have found that reading from the Kindle is actually a lot easier than I had originally thought it would be, as well. I have trouble reading from my laptop screen for too long in one go, and have to take breaks often, but the Kindle screen is so sophisticated, that I actually find it easier to read from than from real paper (a lot of the time anyway). It's also lighter, easier to hold than a paperback/hardback and I can lie down in bed and read with ease (a huge plus!)!
I can get to the stage where, if I've read for example, maybe three eBooks in a row, that I start to miss the feel of a physical book - this isn't a problem though, because as I've said, I still own enough physical books to fill a small library (and am being forced to buy a second bookcase this week - yep, forced). So I tend to alternate between eBook and physical books most of the time.

There is a lot I can say about eReaders, so I think I will stop rambling at you all pretty soon. I will say though, as I am aspiring to work in publishing after I graduate from University, that eBooks are changing the world of publishing at an incredibly fast pace. I haven't quite decided whether or not this is a good thing yet, but I'm sure publishers will be able to adapt. Bookshops on the other hand (in Britain at least), have been suffering, which is a real shame (there is one little bookshop in Hay-on-Wye - Bookends - that shall be particularly missed), and my current place of work, Waterstones, has also taken a hit. I hope though that eReader users, such as myself, will continue to hold physical books very close to their hearts, despite the wonderful selection of reading devices, and continue to support bookshops across the globe!

This is all I shall say on the subject for now! But what do all of you guys think? Do you own an eReader? Do you love or loathe them? If you do own one, what was the deciding factor that lead you to get one? Let me know in the comments!

Gail Carriger Author interview

2012-01-15T15:39:00.006Z

Gail Carriger is the New York Times Bestselling author of the Parasol Protectorate series, which so far includes four books; Soulless, Changeless, Blameless and Heartless, with the fifth book in the series, Timeless, being released on March 1st (UK release). Last week, I reviewed the first in the series, Soulless. If you missed this review, click here.
We have been lucky enough, here at Pen to Paper, to have Gail accept our friendly invitation to tea. While sipping Twinings and munching biscuits, we had a lovely little chat about Soulless, the characters, and of course, tea, treacle tart and parasols.
So I'm delighted to be able to introduce you to the lovely lady herself!

Who would you say is your favourite character? And which character would you rather have round to tea?
I adore Lord Akeldama because he is so deliciously fun to write – all that mad italic–wielding action. I’m under the impression you need only read him to understand why he would make a very diverting tea guest.

Speaking of tea (as we so often do), which type is your personal favourite?
Twinings gold label (black box) English Breakfast imported from the UK. It is stronger and milder in flavor than the American (or red box) version. I take it milky but strong with no sweetener.

Which character do you believe to have the best dress sense?
Biffy, closely followed by Madame Lefoux. Biffy has a bit more imagination and when he helps Alexia dress is when she is at her most beautiful. Biffy has impeccable taste and knows what suits any figure.

What did the treacle tart do to deserve such an undignified and sudden demise?
Heh heh. I loathe treacle tart. I have a terrible sweet-tooth and really love most desserts, but treacle tart is just disgusting. It's an inside joke that my main character loves it so very much.

Will Alexia ever be able to see past the larger-than-normal nose and tan skin, and realise that she really is a terrific woman?
I think she realizes she has something special, but she will never be a proper Victorian lady. But that is part of what makes Alexia human. Most of us struggle against what society expects in some way or another, self confidence is often something that comes with age and wisdom, if you're lucky. I suspect Alexia will get there in the end.

Do you think that, given the opportunity, you and Alexia would be friends?
Nope. I think we'd probably hate each other.

Just how many hats does Ivy own exactly? Are they all so offensively, terrifyingly hideous?
Oh just you wait, she only gets worse. When I'm done with her, she'll own thousands and influence a whole new trend in headgear throughout the Empire.

Will Alexia ever get to meet another preternatural?
That, I am afraid, is scientifically impossible.

If you had the chance to bop one of your characters on the head with Alexia's trusty Parasol, who would you choose and what was their offence?
Felicity. She just needs a good head-bopping. And occasionally, Lord Maccon. But generally speaking he who needs a parasol bop, generally gets one from Alexia at some point in the series.

Out of the book in the series published so far, which is your favourite, and what makes it so?
I'm terribly fickle, the book I love is always the one I just finished and never the one I am currently working on. So I have to say Timeless, the last in the series, which comes out next month. Out of the ones that are already out, I'd probably choose Changeless, kind of the red headed stepchild of the series, but the one with the most world building and the most clues as to the true nature of Alexia's Preternatural abilities and the great secrets behind the octopus.

If you'd like to read more from Gail about herself, Alexia or the rest of the series, you can read the never-ended interview on her website. CLICK HERE to view it.

You can also get yourself entered for a change to win a copy of Soulless, in my Dreaming of Books international giveaway, which ends January 18th at 23:59 EST. CLICK HERE to go and get yourself entered!

Timeless is now available for pre-order. Please click on the links below:

The Book Depository | Waterstones

Amazon UK | Amazon US | Barnes&Noble

In my Mailbox #14

2012-01-15T11:22:00.008Z

So, it's Sunday again, guys!! And that means it's time for another In my Mailbox! I love this feature - not just because I get to share with you which books I've been getting, but because I can see what other book bloggers have been receiving too! I can't help being nosy! :)
So, as always, we'll do the physical books first and then the eBooks at the end.

And as always, you can click on the images to view the goodreads page for the synopsis (or to add it to your wishlist ;P)

Physical books: From work (Waterstone's)

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte: I already have a copy of this, I know, but it is one of the very beautiful Barnes & Noble leather bound editions and I don't want to ever damage it by taking it out of the house, so this copy will be my out-and-about copy of the book, so I can still read it, even when I'm not going to be at home. I read the first chapter last night, and it looks like I'm going to enjoy it. Still can't believe it has taken me this long!

Before I go to Sleep by S. J. Watson: I already had this on my kindle, but the smaller version paperback has just been released in the UK, and I love the cover, and fancied reading it from a physical copy, so I bought one. My mum actually got the larger format paperback for Christmas, but I don't want to steal it to read before she has!

Heartless by Gail Carriger: I finished reading Soulless earlier in the week and loved it, so I bought this with my staff discount while we still had it in stock. I've only read one of the series so far, and already I know I'm going to be in love with all of them!
Look out later for my interview with Gail Carriger herself!!

Looking for Alaska by John Green: I got this simply because I just fancied it. I don't really need to explain any more. After posting it as my Wishlist Wednesday this week, how could I resist?!

From Amazon

The Cambridge Introduction to Creative Writing: This is one I've had to order for my University course. When I start back on the 23rd, I will be studying my Life Writing and Creative Writing modules, which is very exciting. It also means that I'm having to order a shed-full of new books! Goodness knows where I'm going to keep them all....
My life would have been made so much easier if Waterstone's stocked this book, but oddly we don't, hence the amazon purchase.

From The Book Depository

Tempest by Julie Cross: I've seen this around on so many blogs, and the bloggers had either said how excited they were about it, or given it really great reviews, so I had to have it! I ordered it from the book dep. late last week and it arrived a couple of days ago.
I'm very excited about reading this one!

eBooks

The Guardian's Wildchild by Feather Stone: This one, as you may have noticed from the right side-bar of my blog, is for a book blog tour, which I will posting for nearer to the end of February. I managed to join the tour as a late entry, thankfully. I'm really looking forward to reading this one. The review will not be an official part of my blog tour, but I shall be posting the review during that time.
Alongside my official blog tour post, I will be running a giveaway of the book too, so it's definitely one to keep your eyes open for!

Broken by Daniel Clay Review

2012-01-13T20:45:00.000Z

Broken by Daniel Clay

Rating:
Series: No
Pages: 312
Publisher: HarperPress
Release date: 3rd March 2008
Buy (new edition): Book Depository | Amazon UK | Waterstone's | Amazon US

Goodreads synopsis:
Until that fateful afternoon, Skunk Cunningham had been a normal little girl, playing on the curb in front of her house. Rick Buckley had been a normal geeky teenager, hosing off his brand-new car. Bob Oswald had been a normal sociopathic single father of five sl**** daughters, charging furiously down the sidewalk. Then Bob was beating Rick to a bloody pulp, right there in the Buckleys' driveway, and life on Drummond Square was never the same again.

Inspired by Harper Lee's classic To Kill a Mockingbird, Clay's brilliantly observed and darkly funny novel follows the sudden unraveling of a suburban community after a single act of thoughtless cruelty.

This review is going to be a difficult one to write, I think. It may be a good idea for readers of this review to keep reminding themselves of the four star rating that I have given the book. This may get confusing.

I do want everyone reading this to remember that I did like this book. It was compelling, poignant, and gripping throughout. It had deeply affected me by the time I was finished, and it is something that will stay in my mind for a very long time. It's not something that I would usually have chosen to read myself, but I'm still glad that I've read it.
It was however, a fairly distressing read.

The story is narrated mostly by Skunk, an eleven year old girl who begins and ends the story. The novel begins with her reflecting on what had happened to her, and how her and her neighbours had arrived at the states they are all in now. This is pretty much the entire premise for the novel.
Knowing what had happened to Skunk from the very beginning was the cause for the novel's initial grip on me - I had to know what had happened to her. By the time I'd met the Oswalds and Rick 'Broken' Buckley, I was completely gripped and had to know what happened.
What made the novel even more compelling was the way in which the reader gets to know each of the characters intimately. Even though the novel is essentially narrated by a 'future Skunk', and not by any other character, Skunk's narration almost becomes omniscient. Sporadically throughout the novel, we are shown the thoughts of the other characters - so not only are we shown what they are doing, but the thought processes behind each action or decision.

The whole idea behind the novel is a disturbing but intriguing one. I liked the idea that one thoughtless, animalistic action could cause so much destruction. It was interesting to see just how the effects of this incident spread and grew out of control as the novel developed, and how these effects eventually became a tragedy by the end of the story. Also, that all of this happened in a seemingly normal British town, on an apparently normal British street, makes the novel even more disturbing, as it brings it a lot closer to home!

I have heard many others say that they would not be able to say that they enjoyed the novel as such, but that it was a really great read, and one that they are extremely glad to have read. I think this sums the novel up perfectly for me. It's not something I would have chosen for myself, but having had it recommended to me, I am grateful to have come across it and experienced it.
I would recommend reading this, but this is by no means a light read.

Friday Recommends #15

2012-01-13T11:33:00.003Z

Follow Pen to Paper as host of the meme.
Please consider adding the blog hop button to your blog somewhere, so others can find it easily and join in too! Help spread the word! The code will be at the bottom of the post under the linky.
Pick a book that you've read, and have enjoyed enough to recommend to other readers. It can be a book you've read recently, or a book you read years ago - it's up to you - but make sure you tell us why you love the book (like a mini review). You make the post as long or as short as you like.
Add your blog to the linky at the bottom of this post after posting your blog post.
Put a link back to pen to paper (http://vogue-pentopaper.blogspot.com) somewhere in your post.
Visit the other blogs and enjoy!

A Bit of Earth by Rebecca Smith

Amazon Synopsis:
Susannah Misselthwaite was gazing up at the brightness of the blue sky when the deer leapt in front of the car. She never knew what happened. Her husband Guy, Professor of Botany, hides from his grief in his greenhouse - without Susannah, everything is lost. Meanwhile, little Felix pores over photographs of his mother who is slipping from his memory more each day. Happiest sitting in the branches of a tree in the university's botanical garden, away from the emptiness of home, he presides over the dreams and dramas of those who pass beneath him. Teachers and students, young and old, happy, sad, or filled with longing, all find sanctuary and space for contemplation in this few square feet of soil.

The novel begins with the accidental death of Susannah Misselthwaithe, University Librarian, Wife and Mother. This begins the ripples that force their way through the novel, leaving almost no character untouched by the dreadful incident. But those that are hit by the tragedy the worst are her Son, Felix and Husband, Guy. Without Suzannah, or the knowledge of what she was doing on the day she died, Guy is restless and grief-stricken.
Both characters take on such an incredible personal journey, and it's really beautiful to simply watch unfold through the author's compelling narrative. The second half of the novel is really where this beauty starts to unfold. We are introduced to characters that will become central in Guy and Felix's lives; who will form the relationships that will enable them to move on and remember Suzannah without grief or suspicion.

When looking at the goodreads page for this book when I started this post, I discovered that it was rated fairly lowly on average. Looking at the individual reviews, the two or three stars, I think the readers have rated it a little unfairly. Though everyone has their own opinions, I suppose.
But I found it to be a beautiful, compelling and fulfilling read, to the point where I was so upset that I gave my original copy away, that I bought another to keep! I honestly recommend that you give it a go, and persevere to the second half, if required - in my eyes, it's worth it!

What do you recommend this week? Join in with Friday Recommends and let us know!
Add your link below in the linky!

Dreaming of Books International Giveaway!

2012-01-12T18:27:00.004Z

The Dreaming of Books giveaway has been one that I've been looking forward to for a while now. I decided a while back that the list of books I was going to offer you were books that I've personally really enjoyed and I think you'll enjoy too! The giveaway is international as always, as long as The Book Depository delivers free to your country, so pretty much all of you can enter (I've never come across anyone on the blog that would not be eligible). All I ask is that you make sure you're a follower of the blog, and pay attention to the rest of the rules.

First, let me get serious for a moment, and set out the rules for the giveaway, and give you some extra information.

You must be a follower of Pen to Paper to enter (obviously). I will check that you are a follower if you are pulled out as a winner. If you're not, your entry will not count and another winner will be chosen. This giveaway is for my wonderful followers - so become one of them :)
I will need your follower profile URL in the extra info bit in the Rafflecopter below. To find this, you need to go onto the blogger homepage and find your full profile page. This page should have a list of all the blogs you are following on it. This is the URL I need. If you really can't find it, then leave the exact follower name you follow by on GFC.
If you are chosen as a winner and I email you, you will have 48 hours to reply to the email. If I don't receive a reply in this time, I will have to draw another winner, and you will lose your prize - sorry but someone has to win!
I can not be held responsible for any books that are delivered damaged. The prizes will be ordered from The Book Depository, and do not come through me.
Please don't leave your email address in the comments. I have trouble with this every time I do a giveaway. I use Rafflecopter so that your email addresses are not available to anyone but me (and only then if you win). This is for your own safety :)
There is one initial entry for following Pen to Paper and then there are extra entries possible for the giveaway after this. They are optional, but they could be the difference between someone else or you winning!
The giveaway will end on January 18th at 23:59 EST
This giveaway is hosted by Kathy at I am a Reader, Not a Writer.
CLICK HERE to hop along to the next blog on the list.

Right! Now for the fun stuff! Below are the books on offer for the giveaway. The winner will get to choose one of these books as their prize! I have rated all of the books five stars, so I think you will adore them too! You can click each image to view the goodreads (and therefore, synopsis) for each book!

Now all you need to do is make sure you're a follower and enter the giveaway in the Rafflecopter below! Good luck to all of you! :)

BeSwitched Blog Tour Day One Guest post from author Molly Snow

2012-01-11T23:44:00.005Z

Welcome to Pen to Paper's first day on the BeSwitched blog tour! I have been excited about this tour for quite a while now, so I'm delighted to be finally putting up the first post.
BeSwitched and BeSwitched Witch are the first two books in the series by the wonderful Molly Snow. This tour celebrates the release of BeSwitched Witch, which was released on December 9th on Smashwords and Amazon for Kindle.

Molly has been wonderful enough to write a guest post especially for the followers of Pen to Paper, about four wonderful literary series and what she learnt from them as a writer!
So I'll pass you over to Molly!

The 4 Book Series I Grew Up Reading (And What They Taught Me About Writing!)

Nancy Drew: Nancy was constantly surrounded by strange happenings. Almost every two pages, there is some new event, so the reader is never bored. Grab one of her books, and check for yourself! I was recently flipping through The Mystery at Lilac Inn, where Nancy’s canoe is capsized, she almost gets harpooned, her identity is stolen (along with her diamonds) all in a short matter of time. Whew! This taught me, that as an author, I can have a lot of fun with my imagination

Sweet Valley High: My best friend and I would lay in bed and speak the separate dialogue of twin teenage sisters, Jessica and Liz Wakefield. We had so much fun acting it out with our voices. I now read my books out loud with another person before finalizing them, to see how it sounds. I think a book should sound as good as it reads.

Goosebumps: Monsters, slime and skeletons. What 6th grader wouldn’t love all that? But more importantly, the series had a lot of teasers. The chapters would end with a scare or cliffhanger, so you would have to see what was coming next. I like to use this method, hoping my books will be page-turners.

Fear Street: Teenage horror stories, centering around themes such as: Prom, Vampires, and a Psycho Santa. Nothing unusual there, I know ;) This was the first series that made me swoon over a boy—Gabri, in Goodnight Kiss—a hottie teen vampire, way before Edward Cullen’s debut. I felt like I was the girl on the beach looking into his eyes. Now I can’t help but add an eye-pleasing guy in my books. It’s something that I craved back then as a reader and something I still crave today as an author.

Purchase the eBook of BeSwitched, book one in the series:

Smashwords | Amazon.com | Amazon UK

Or purchase a print copy:

Breezy Reads Book Store

Purchase the eBook:

Smashwords | Amazon.com | Amazon UK

or purchase a print copy:

Breezy Reads Book Store

Also, hop on over to Molly's blog for your chance to win the tour's grand prize of a Kindle Touch Wi-fi and a signed copy of both books!
This is an international giveaway and you must be over the age of 14 to enter. Please read all of the Terms & Conditions at the bottom of the Rafflecopter.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER

Also, Molly will be returning to Pen to Paper for an interview and giveaway on January 23rd. One lucky international follower will win eBook copies of both books! Keep your eyes peeled for that one! See you there!

Giveaway winners!

2012-01-11T23:25:00.002Z

Recently a lot has been happening in my life, and keeping up with posts like this has been very difficult, so I apologise for that.
What I will do in this post then, is to catch up with all the different giveaway winners that I have not announced yet, along with the two winners from my 1000 follower push giveaway.
I'm afraid these announcements are going to go a while back....

The winner of the Mid-Winter's Eve international giveaway was...

Aurora Momcilovich!

Congratulations! You won your choice of a copy of Delirium by Lauren Oliver!

The winner of the Best of 2011 international giveaway was...

Alyssa!

Congratulations! You told me that you did not mind which of the books in the list you won, and that you loved surprises, so I chose the book that I thought you would like the most. I won't announce which book that was here as I'm not sure you will have received it yet, and I don't want to spoil that surprise for you! You'll love it though!

And finally - the Push to 1000 followers international giveaway! The deal was that if Pen to Paper reaches 1000 GFC followers before the end of the giveaway, then I would draw a second winner. Well, we got there - so there are two winners to announce!
Congratulations to...

Caroline! You won your choice of a copy of Delirium by Lauren Oliver!

and...

Natasha! You won your choice of a copy of Working Stiff by Rachel Caine!

Huge congratulatory celebrations to all of my recent giveaway winners, and commiserations to all of those who didn't win this time. There are still plenty of giveaways for you to enter though! Enter the YA Faeries & Fantasy international giveaway and the Fractured Light international giveaway (click the images at the top of the left side bar). The Dreaming of Books international giveaway starts on January 13th, so also keep an eye out for that!
Again, thank you all so much for seeing me to 1000 followers - I hope you're all enjoying reading the blog as much as I'm enjoying writing it!

Wishlist Wednesday #18

2012-01-11T00:25:00.003Z

Follow Pen to Paper as host of the meme.
Please consider adding the blog hop button to your blog somewhere, so others can find it easily and join in too! Help spread the word! The code will be at the bottom of the post under the linky.
Pick a book from your wishlist that you are dying to get to put on your shelves.
Do a post telling your readers about the book and why it's on your wishlist.
Add your blog to the linky at the bottom of this post.
Put a link back to pen to paper (http://vogue-pentopaper.blogspot.com) somewhere in your post.
Visit the other blogs and enjoy!

Looking for Alaska by John Green

Goodreads synosis:
A deeply affecting coming-of-age story, Looking for Alaska traces the journey of Miles Halter, a misfit Florida teenager who leaves the safety of home for a boarding school in Alabama and a chance to explore the "Great Perhaps." Debut novelist and NPR commentator Green perfectly captures the intensity of feeling and despair that defines adolescence in this hip, shocking, and emotionally charged work of fiction.

Miles has a quirky interest in famous people's last words, especially François Rabelais's final statement, "I go to seek a Great Perhaps." Determined not to wait for death to begin a similar quest, Miles convinces his parents to let him leave home. Once settled at Culver Creek Preparatory School, he befriends a couple of equally gifted outcasts: his roommate Chip―commonly known as the Colonel—who has a predilection for memorizing long, alphabetical lists for fun; and the beautiful and unpredictable Alaska, whom Miles comes to adore.

The kids grow closer as they make their way through a school year filled with contraband, tests, pranks, breakups, and revelations about family and life. But as the story hurtles toward its shattering climax, chapter headings like "forty-six days before" and "the last day" portend a tragic event―one that will change Miles forever and lead him to new conclusions about the value of his cherished "Great Perhaps."

I originally came across this one while at work a few months ago, and I was immediately intrigued by it. But when I typed it into Goodreads, to add to my wishlist, and saw all of the wonderful reviews it has collected on there, I knew it was a definite wishlist book!
It sounds like such a beautiful, compelling coming-of-age story, and I have a feeling that I will definitely fall in love with the book!
I also think this will be a read that teens and adults alike will really enjoy, which is always a good thing!

Have you read this book? What did you think of it?
And what is on your wishlist this week? Let me know in the comments, or join in on your own blog!

Soulless by Gail Carriger Review

2012-01-09T21:46:00.013Z

Soulless by Gail Carriger

Rating:
Series: The Parasol Protectorate #1
Pages: 291
Publisher: Orbit
Release date: 2nd September 2010
Buy: Book Depository | Amazon UK | Waterstone's | Amazon US

Goodreads synopsis:
Alexia Tarabotti is laboring under a great many social tribulations. First, she has no soul. Second, she's a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette.

Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire—and then the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate.

With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia responsible. Can she figure out what is actually happening to London's high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart?

SOULLESS is a comedy of manners set in Victorian London: full of werewolves, vampires, dirigibles, and tea-drinking.

Well, where to start?! I suppose Alexia would want me to begin at the beginning, so that is where I shall begin.
At first I found this novel a little difficult to adjust to - it is written in a style not all too different from that of the great, British authors of the 19th century, and so, to begin with, takes a little more concentration. After only the first chapter though, I found myself settling into the style, and eventually I came to really enjoy it.
The novel is written in a sophisticated and elegant manner, that suits the time period, characters and plot extremely well. The novel manages to keep up this sophistication throughout, but leaves room for the wit and humour of the author to shine through effectively - and the novel is definitely witty and humorous! This is mostly thanks to the protagonist, the brilliantly intelligent and strong-willed Alexia Tarabotti. I don't think I have loved a character this much since I was first introduced to Sookie Stackhouse, from Charlaine Harris' True Blood series - and this is a great compliment indeed! Alexia is so fiercely intelligent, and well - fierce - that she can talk most of the other characters in the novel into submission if need be, mostly eliminating the need for a thump with that trusty parasol of hers (although the thumps she does deliver are particularly satisfying, have no doubt!). As you can see, the written style of the novel has rubbed off on my own writing of this review - this is how effective and oddly compelling it is!

The novel not only has sophistication, wit and humour, but action, suspense, thrills and romance too! Buckets full of it! The plot is a complicated and satisfying one that leaves no detail, no matter how small, unexplored - this includes the ever-so important dress sense of each character (an untidy cravat is an almost inexcusable offence!). The details of the novel make the novel particularly, and adorably quirky - Lord Akeldama's outrageous dress sense, Ivy's truly terrifying hats, and of course, that poor, abused treacle tart (what a waste!).

Soulless is an absolute delight full of the most wonderful, fantastical treasures, that will almost certainly leave you wanting more! I highly recommend this series to anyone with an interest in general fantasy, urban fantasy, romance and steampunk!

Gail Carriger has very kindly agreed to an interview at Pen to Paper.
CLICK HERE
to read it!

Musing Mondays #2

2012-01-09T13:14:00.002Z

This meme is hosted by Should be Reading.
Every week a new 'musing' question is posted by the host for all participants to answer in their own posts.

This week's musing is:

Are there any “raved reads” –books that everyone seems to be talking about– that you’re hoping to get read this year, yourself? What books are they, and why are you hoping to read them? Is it because you want to say you’ve read it? Or, would you have chosen to read it, even if you’d discovered it yourself, and no one was raving about it?

There are loads of 'raved reads' going around at the moment. I've been fortunate enough to have read a fair amount of them already, though! One such book though, that I have not yet read, but do own, is Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi. I first heard about this book from a select few fellow book bloggers, and now it seems to be everywhere! I got the book from my parents for Christmas, so hopefully I will be able to read it soon. I'm definitely not reading it just so that I can say I've read it though, that would be silly! I would read it regardless of whether others had been raving about it or not!
Look out for my review of this - I'm hoping to pick it up very, very soon.

Are there any 'raved reads' that any of you are looking forward to reading soon? Let me know, as always, in the comments!

Pen to Paper

Girl, Missing by Sophie McKenzie **Review**

If I Die by Rachel Vincent **Out now**

Cinder by Marissa Meyer **Review**

In my Mailbox #20

Friday Recommends #21

Young Adult Paranormal Activity Giveaway Hop **International**

Wishlist Wednesday #24

Heat Stroke by Rachel Caine **Review**

The Guardian's Wildchild Blog Tour: The Writing Cave [Guest Post] & **International Giveaway**

In my Mailbox #19

Friday Recommends #20

Before I go to Sleep by S. J. Watson **Review**

Random Acts of Kindness **International Giveaway** [Ended]

The Time Will Come #18

Wishlist Wednesday #23

Straight to Heaven: The Lilith Straight Blog Tour **Sign-up Post**

Musing Mondays #5

In my Mailbox #18

Birthday Bookcase!

Friday Recommends #19

The Vampire Diaries: Stefen's Diaries **Giveaway Winner**

The Time Will Come #18

Wishlist Wednesday #22: Birthday edition!

Marie Landry: Author Interview & International Giveaway [Blue Sky Days blog tour Day 2] [Giveaway ended]

Follower Love Giveaway Hop **International** [Ended]

Heaven by Christoph Marzi **Review & international giveaway** [Giveaway Ended]

Blue Sky Days by Marie Landry **Review** [Blue Sky Days Blog Tour Day 1]

In my Mailbox #17

Friday Recommends #18

The Time Will Come #17

Young Adult giveaway hop **Winner**

Wishlist Wednesday #21

Top Ten Tuesday #12

Musing Mondays #4

In my Mailbox #16

Pen to Paper: The New Look!

**Giveaway Winners** Update!

Friday Recommends #17

Young Adult Giveaway Hop **International** [Ended]

The Time Will Come #16

Wishlist Wednesday #20

The Vampire Diaries: Stefan's Diaries books 1-4 **international giveaway** [Ended]

Top Ten Tuesday #11

In my Mailbox #15

Author interview with Molly Snow **BeSwitched blog tour: Day two**

Friday Recommends #16

The Weight of Water by Sarah Crossan **Review**

The Time Will Come #15

Wishlist Wednesday #19

Musing Mondays #3

Gail Carriger **Author interview**

In my Mailbox #14

Broken by Daniel Clay **Review**

Friday Recommends #15

Dreaming of Books International Giveaway!

BeSwitched Blog Tour **Day One** Guest post from author Molly Snow

**Giveaway winners!**

Wishlist Wednesday #18

Soulless by Gail Carriger **Review**

Musing Mondays #2

Girl, Missing by Sophie McKenzie Review

If I Die by Rachel Vincent Out now

Cinder by Marissa Meyer Review

Young Adult Paranormal Activity Giveaway Hop International

Heat Stroke by Rachel Caine Review

The Guardian's Wildchild Blog Tour: The Writing Cave [Guest Post] & International Giveaway

Before I go to Sleep by S. J. Watson Review

Random Acts of Kindness International Giveaway [Ended]

Straight to Heaven: The Lilith Straight Blog Tour Sign-up Post

The Vampire Diaries: Stefen's Diaries Giveaway Winner

Follower Love Giveaway Hop International [Ended]

Heaven by Christoph Marzi Review & international giveaway [Giveaway Ended]

Blue Sky Days by Marie Landry Review [Blue Sky Days Blog Tour Day 1]

Young Adult giveaway hop Winner

Giveaway Winners Update!

Young Adult Giveaway Hop International [Ended]

The Vampire Diaries: Stefan's Diaries books 1-4 international giveaway [Ended]

Author interview with Molly Snow BeSwitched blog tour: Day two

The Weight of Water by Sarah Crossan Review

Gail Carriger Author interview

Broken by Daniel Clay Review

BeSwitched Blog Tour Day One Guest post from author Molly Snow

Giveaway winners!

Soulless by Gail Carriger Review