Kiss Date Love Hate by Luisa Plaja

Pages - 278
Published by Random House Children's Books in February 2012

It's just another lunch time on the Chairs of Doom outside Mr Trench's office. I'm sort of a permanent fixture here. If the chairs weren't so wobbly, I 'd probably have grown roots by now. Maybe when I finally leave school, once I've scraped GCSE's and limped through enough sixth form to make Mum (and my boffin friend Jess) happy, they'll put a plaque against the exposed bricks where my head is resting now. 


Goodreads Summary
What if you could change your friends' lives and loves through the settings of a computer game...? 
Lex Murphy's group of friends have all dated, hated, ignored and lusted after each other for the last few years. If only there was a way of matching people perfectly to avoid all the unrequited love, dumping and drama! Then Lex's friend George is given a mysterious Sims-like game by his software-testing dad which involves building character profiles in the categories of Life, Looks and Love. Lex and George populate the game with avatars for all their mates, making a few 'wishful thinking' adjustments to the settings - and find that the next day these tinkerings have come true! But how long can this new calm, loved-up atmosphere continue?

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I really do love the way Luisa writes.She is funny, warm and extremely entertaining whilst  behind the scenes she is juggling real issues that affect teenagers at the same time. She sugar coats the morals until you have unknowingly swallowed them and only when you have  had time to digest them do you begin to analyse what you have read. I am actually convinced that Luisa is a bit of a fibber - she has tried to convince me she is the same age as me; but she writes with such an authentic teenage voice, I am absolutely positive she is a 16 year old girl with attitude! I swear I haven't come across a more authentic teenage voice and I should know (living with teen wannabees!)

Lex the main character of the story, is just brilliant. She is seen as having issues which her friends feel she plays on a bit. To me, she is a fighter, who just wants to be accepted for who she is  and to be treated just like everyone else.  She is happy to label herself, but I felt that this was just to cover her feelings.  She wants the past forgotten, so that the future can begin. 

Within the story, Lex and George discover they can change the relationships between their friends through a game! Imagine if you could really do that! Lex has fun altering her appearance through it too and I found myself wishing I had access to such a game, becoming  disgruntled at only having  a slimming  app on my camera.

The ending of the book, came as quite a surprise. I am actually having to gag myself in order to not reveal the revelations at the end of the book. Luisa is a master of disguise and I had no idea it would end the way it did. 

Luisa makes you think about what being normal really is. Society has so many labels for every different aspect of a person, that it makes you wonder who can actually call themselves normal. We all have aspects about us that make us different from each other, so should we be labelled because of them? 

 If you enjoyed The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler, you will love this one too. 

I discovered something whilst reading the book; something really daft which I didn't  realise I had a problem with until I read this book. Absolutely nothing to do with Luisa's writing at all really; I just discovered I struggle with  stories without chapters. How anal is that? I just like the structure of chapters so that I can break it down into sections to read. I wonder if I am alone in my bizarreness! But like I said, it has absolutely nothing to do with the quality of this book. Buy it, it is fabulous!

Fantasy Dinner Party with Luisa Plaja

To celebrate the publication of Kiss Date Love Hate by the amazing Luisa Plaja, I managed to convince her to write a fantasy dinner party post. Keep reading to find out who she invites.

Hello, hello! Come on in and help yourself to the crisps. I’m so glad you could make it to my fantasy party. You’re the first guest here, or should I say, group of guests. In fact, there are so many of you that this isn’t really a proper dinner party; it’s more of a mill-about-chatting gathering. (And it’s just as well, too, as this means you’ll all be spared from my cooking.)

Yes, my first fantasy guest pick is this:
Readers and Book Bloggers… because you’re all wonderful. Plus I’m dying to discuss books with you.
I’m sure we can fit a few others in, so here’s who I’ve invited. Hopefully we’ll find a few minutes to talk to them in between bookish chats.

Spike from Buffy – because he’s my all-time favourite vampire - everyone should have one - and his wit can liven up (or undeaden up) any occasion. I’ll try to ensure his chip is working so that hopefully he won’t attack us all.

Joss Whedon – because he’s Joss Whedon, and everything he touches turns to ground-breaking quality entertainment. (Also, I wonder how he’d react when faced with a character he created...)

Jane Espenson – so I can eavesdrop as she chats to Joss about Buffy days gone by, and also so that I can tell her how much I loved all the webisodes of Husbands. (http://husbandstheseries.com/)

Donna Martin from old 90210 and Naomi Clark from new 90210 – Donna, as ever, is there for comic relief, in case we all get too serious. Plus I’d love to catch up and find out how things are going with David Silver. Naomi is there so that I can say, “Naomi, nooooo! What are you thinking?” Whatever the current storyline of 90210 is when you read this, I’m pretty sure this will apply. If I can stop her doing even one more thing that messes up her life, then this whole dinner party will be worth it, even if Spike’s chip deactivates and we all end up on the menu.

I think I’ll leave it there and begin the chatting. So… what have you been reading lately? (Wish Spike would stop looking so fed up and/or pretending to be from a post-apocalyptic world! OK, which of you book-bloggers told him that you’ve read more dystopian than vampire fiction lately?)

Thanks Luisa for a great party. I am so happy to have caught up with Donna Martin! It feels like it has been years!

 

This book comes out today!

To find out more about Luisa Plaja:

Twitter: @LuisaPlaja

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Luisa-Plaja/326625221758

Website: http://www.luisaplaja.co.uk/

Luisa's book review site: http://www.chicklish.co.uk/

Mortal Chaos by Matt Dickinson

Pages - 286
Published by Oxford University Press in February 2012


The butterfly was a Purple Hairstreak, a newborn female, still sticky from her chrysalis as she climbed  the oak sapling  and tested the morning air.  It was a chill June start to the day, with the promise of summer head to come, the silver weed  and red campion around her spun with brilliant gossamer, tendrils of dawn mist still woven through the grass. 


Amazon summary
'The Butterfly Effect ': the scientific theory that a single occurrence, no matter how small, can change the course of the universe forever. When a butterfly startles a young rabbit, and the rabbit makes a horse rear, it starts a chain of events, over the course of one day, that will change people's lives . . . and end people's lives. From a climber on Everest to a boy in Malawi . . . from a commercial pilot to an American psycho . . . the chaos knows no bounds. This heart-stopping adventure by writer, film maker and climber Matt Dickinson will leave readers breathless. It's the book Jack Bauer would have read as a teenager!

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Once I realised what this book was about, I was excited! I am absolutely fascinated by the Butterfly Effect, and I can vividly remember reading the short story 'A Sound of Thunder' by Ray Bradbury at secondary school. It is definitely one of those stories that makes you think. 

Matt Dickinson has taken the theory behind the Butterfly Effect and shown how one tiny event where a butterfly startles a young rabbit can set off a chain of events that lead to mortality and chaos. This isn't just confined to the UK, the chain reaction of this one event effects people all over the world, creating a mind boggling and thought provoking thriller. 

The way Matt Dickinson writes, creates the film environment in your own home. His use of language and description portrays a situation that appears to be happening in real time. As you begin reading, you are confused as to why all these snippets of unrelated events are appearing in the book, yet as it progresses you begin to see the fine lines that weave all the seemingly unconnected situations together. I actually felt like a fly on the wall observing all the events as they happened. 

I can definitely see this book being made into a film. It is all there readily prepared for a producer to pick it up and  just add the dialogue.  A tornado of a story that starts out as a gentle breeze!

The book is composed of short one page events and you find yourself so engrossed in the book, that before you know you have read it all in one sitting. 

There were a couple of threads which I couldn't see were related until I actually sat down and thought about it carefully, allowing me to join the dots. 

Next time you step on  a fly or swat a wasp out of the way, you may hesitate and consider what effect, your quick reactions have on the rest of the world!


Thank you to Riot Communications and Oxford University Press for sending me this book to review. 

Mortal Chaos Blog Tour

Today I am hosting the third stop on the Mortal Chaos Blog Tour. Mortal Chaos is the first YA book by Matt Dickinson,  who is one of those people, whom you would just love to have a look through their passport! Matt is a writer and director who likes to explore wild places that most of us would only dream of visiting. His proudest moment was filming at the summit of Mount Everest!
So when I was asked what kind of post I would like Matt to do, I jumped at the chance of hearing all about his top five destinations!  Just to give us the full effect, I have added free photos from Photobucket ( just to make you drool a little more).

MATT DICKINSON TOP FIVE DESTINATIONS

ANTARCTICA
Visiting Antarctica is like seeing the earth before humans came along and stamped their mark. A pristine wilderness which is breathtakingly beautiful.

THE SAHARA DESERT
It might seem like a vast desert is just an empty wasteland but the more time you spend in the Sahara the more you realise that is just not true. There are many animals that specialise in desert life (and nomads too) and the experience of camping and travelling in amongst the dunes is an unforgettable one.

ICELAND
Is there any country on earth that has so much raw nature? I doubt it. Volcanoes, glaciers, huge rivers teeming with fish. Islands sprouting from the sea. An elemental, firey wonderland. But do take a good wind jacket!

TANZANIA
Camping and walking in the wilds of Africa is a wild and wonderful experience. To hear lions at night outside your tent is to realise for a moment what being a cave man must have been like. The soft light of dawn in Africa is something you will never forget.

THE HIMALAYAS
What can I say? How many lifetimes could I happily spend trekking through these stupendous mountains? And the people who live there are so welcoming. A savage place in winter but gorgeous to trek through in Spring and summer. Get there quickly before the glaciers disappear!

All I can say is WOW! Feeling a little under travelled now.  Thanks Matt for a fabulous post. The tour continues with Jenny over at Wondrous Reads tomorrow. Pop back at 3pm to read my review of Mortal Chaos.  
Mortal Chaos goes on sale on the 2nd of February. 

To find out more about Matt Dickinson:
Twitter: @Dickinson_Matt
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/mortalchaos?ref=ts&sk=wall
Website: http://www.mattdickinson.com/

Really Random Tuesday

Really Random Tuesday is a meme created by Suko at Suko's Notebook which is a way to post odds and ends--announcements, musings, quotes, photos--any blogging and book-related things you can think of. 
I can't believe I haven't done one of these posts since December! I have so much bookish news to tell you.                                                                          

Let's start with a fabulous trailer to get us in the mood. Daylight Saving by Edward Hogan and the interactive book cover. Apologies for not getting it in the center, it seems Blogger is being a little temperamental this afternoon. But do run your mouse over the cover, it is such fun to watch the water ripple!
For more exciting information about this book, check out Undercover from Walker Books. 

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Any aspiring YA speculative fiction authors who are in the throes of finishing their novels and about to look for an agent, read this first! A message from Strange Chemistry, the new YA imprint from Angry Robot.

'Last year our angry but adoable Overlords Angry Robot Books ran an Open Door month.

Which is what, you ask?

It involved AR relaxing the usual submission guidelines and allowing authors-to-be who were unagented to send in a manuscript.

It worked wonderfully well, with three authors signed up!

Why am I telling you this?

Because this year Strange Chemistry is jumping on the band wagon!

That’s right – we are looking for YA authors-to-be who have written any form of speculative YA fiction (fantasy, SF, horror, or some mash-up of the three!) to submit in the period between April 16th and April 30th.

Full details can be found HERE and we do advise that you read the WHOLE list of requirements!

In addition Angry Robot Books are asking for Classic Fantasy – high, epic, medieval, magical, etc – but only adult fiction. See their requirements here.'
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As many of you know I have been raving about Hollow Pike by James Dawson. Well I thought you might like to see the trailer for it. 

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Many of you may remember me raving about a certain mind blowing book called Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor last year. Well the title for the new book has just been announced!

Doesn't it sound fabulous? I can't wait. As I understand it, the book will be out in the Autumn.

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February 14^th sees the launch of Piatkus Entice, our brand new eBook-first romance imprint. With new titles each month from authors including Eloisa James, Laura Wright, Sarah MacLean, Mariah Stewart and many more, Piatkus Entice will be a one-stop-shop for romantic fiction, offering readers everything from virile vampires to fairytale endings, ravishing rakes and so much more besides.

The website is now live at www.piatkusentice.co.uk. Have a look around the site, then follow us on Twitter andFacebook, or sign up to the Entice newsletter for the latest romance news straight to your inbox.

Piatkus Entice. Temptation at your fingertips.

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FABER AND FABER LAUNCHES THE SPARK - A PLACE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE TO SHOWCASE THEIR CREATIVE SKILLS

Faber and Faber has launched THE SPARK www.facebook.com/thesparkpage, a place for 13 - 16 year olds who have an interest in creativity and reading. During 2012 THE SPARK, hosted on Facebook, will invite young people to take part in some exciting projects around acting, film-making, writing and music, each linked to and inspired by a Faber Young Adult title. Whilst students aren’t obliged to read the books to take part, we hope that they will not only be inspired to produce some creative work, but will also be encouraged to engage with the related books, and develop a greater interest in reading generally. Our aim is that THE SPARK will become a vibrant community where young people who love reading and creating can meet, talk and share. We have been extremely impressed by the entries for our recent project, run in association with the GUARDIAN, to find a talented young artist to create a new, iconic cover image for William Golding’s LORD OF THE FLIES and we hope that we can discover a similar level of creativity in each of the new projects to be launched this year.

Find out more at www.facebook.com/thesparkpage. Follow THE SPARK @thesparkfeed

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I will keep showing this trailer everywhere till  everyone has seen this film. I am desperate to see it and hope hubby will take me this weekend! If you loved Free Willy, you will want to see this. 

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Also check out Lauren Kate's book cover coming to life!

The fabulous Carolyn and her gorgeous book blogging pal Laura have a fabulous read a long going on  over at Book Chick City. 

Each month throughout the year, the ladies will be reviewing a different book from the Sookie Stackhouse series. So that is one book every month in the series order. Now I am majorly tempted to join in with this one, as I like many I have most of this series sitting on my book shelves.   The lovely ladies posted their first review yesterday which you can see here, 

Now I have read the first book, which I reviewed here, and I hope to join in with the readalong for the second book in the series. If you want to be involved, then pop over and join in the discussion. 

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So there you are! Another round up of bookish news for you. I will be back soon with lots of other bookish gossip!

Challenge Me 2012 - January - A Madness Of Angels

As many of you remember I set myself a little challenge. I gave you the option to choose 12 books for me to read throughout the year 2012 - one book each month.
For January, I was to read A Madness of Angels by Kate Griffiths and I am here to hold my hands up and say I failed!
However there are reasons to my failure, so I want to explain myself and make myself feel better about the whole situation.
Firstly, when I began this project, I had aimed to begin reading the book chosen at the beginning of the month and read a little every day. January began and I forgot all about it until about two weeks ago, so I failed at the starting line.
Secondly, I did manage to read half of the book, but to be honest I really struggled with it. The first thirty pages of A Madness Of Angels, lost me completely. I really didn't have a clue what was going on - the main character constantly referred to himself as 'we' which left me really confused. I had to go on Twitter for an explanation and was relieved to discover I wasn't going mad and  that the main character Matthew Swift was sharing his body with the blue electric angels.
So I progressed a little further into the book and I enjoyed it a little more as I read it, but I found it just too hard going. This isn't a book that can be read in a couple of days, as it is so detailed and needs time to be digested.
As many of you know, I have been taking some seriously strong medication this week and even the thought of attempting to read such a detailed book actually put me off reading anything at all. So a couple of nights ago, I came to the decision to stop reading this book. At this moment in time, it wasn't for me, I wasn't enjoying it and I couldn't see any reason to continue with it if it wasn't working for me.
However, I do intend to one day attempt to read it again, when I am in the right frame of mind and when I can devote my reading time to it completely.
If you have read this book, I take my hat off to you, as I know one day I will fully grasp the greatness of this book. Unfortunately that time is not now.
Apologies for everyone who chose this book for me and all the people on Twitter who urged me to carry on.

I have downloaded February's book Benny and Shrimp by Katerina Mazetti and I hope to actually complete the challenge for February.

Hot Books For February

This is one of those posts that nearly didn't get written. As you know, I am still recovering from back problems, so this post will basically show all the fabulous books I have discovered that are being published in the UK in February. If you click on each picture it will take you to either the Goodreads page or the Amazon page for the book. This month there are a few adult books included, so you won't just find YA. All the Piatkus books are adult in content.  Apologies before you start, if I add to your TBR lists!

Catnip Publishing

Hodder and Stoughton

Bloomsbury

 Orchard Books

Simon and Schuster

Oxford University Press

Random House Children's Books

Abrams and Chronicle

Indigo

Orion's Childrens Books

Atom Books

Chicken House

Electric Monkey

Templar

HarperCollins

Faber and Faber

Headline

Pan Macmillan

Walker Books

MIRA Books

Harper Voyager

Century

Piatkus

I imagine that some of you are looking at a few of these covers and thinking you might have seen them before, well a few have just been brought out in paperback so I thought I would include those as well. I hope you see something that you desperately want! Happy drooling!