Chuck A Book with Raimy from Readaraptor

Today on Chuck A Book I have the lovely Raimy from Readaraptor.

1. The best book you have ever read.

 Do You know how hard this question is? Quite possibly Wonder by RJ Palacio to be honest. I think its an incredibly amazing story and the main character was so brave. I think its one that should be in all school libraries and also on the national curriculum for schools!

2. A book you loved from your childhood.

 There’s not one in particular I don’t think. I adored the Animal Ark series and because of those I wanted to be a vet for a while but when I realised I’d have to put animals down that soon changed! I wasn’t a big reader as a child though.

3. A book that made you laugh.

 One Seriously Messed up Week in the Otherwise Mundane and uneventful life of Jack Samsonite. I think Tom Clempson did an amazing job with this book and deserves a lot of credit for making my spit juice out of my nose at work!

4. A book you could not finish. 

The Two Towers, second in the Lord of The Rings trilogy defeated me and now my trilogy sits on the shelf only half read. I want to try again but its so hard to read in places!

5.A book that made you swoon.

 I don’t really make a habit of swooning in all honesty, but I got very over excited for Emma Hearts LA by Keris Stainton and as soon as I met Oscar, I did swoon... ahhh he’s beautiful.

6. A book you can’t wait to read.

 Haha, my wishlist is a mile long, as is my TBR pile. I have loads of books that I can’t wait to read, however I think the one I’m looking forward to the most is the first in the Darcy Burdock series by Laura Dockrill that comes out early next year. It sounds utterly brilliant!

7. A series you have read and loved. 

Sorry to do this to you Viv, I’m sure a lot of people will say this but it has to be Harry Potter. I adore the series, it is what started my love affair with books and reading and I will never stop reading it. I even plan on reading it to my unborn children as soon as I fall pregnant! Haha.

8. A book that made you cry.

 The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson. I dare anyone with a sister to read this book and not cry, it’s impossible. It is the most beautiful, sad, story that you will ever read and I could hardly read it for tears!

9. Your guilty pleasure book.

 I don’t actually have one of these.. I don’t even think I know what one really is. I always gravitate towards Harry Potter when I’m ill or I need something easy to read and not think about but other than that I rarely re-read so I don’t think I have one.

10. A book that took you out of your comfort zone.

 I don’t do well with quite high fantasy books so I think The Gathering Dark by Leigh Bardugo really took me out of my comfort zone. It was strange for me reading that one because I had to go over stuff more carefully than I usually would have.

Thank you Raimy for a wonderful selection of books in your answers. If you would like to take part in Chuck A Book, then please email me at vivienne_dacosta@hotmail.com.

Letterbox Love (12)

Britain at it's best, bringing you it's own version of IMM! All the books that came through my letterbox thanks to publishers and Royal Mail! Thank you Mr Postman for not squashing my books.  

 I was over the moon to get   a box full of Kate Cann delights to read from Scholastic. Kate Cann has been on my list of authors to read for a long time and I am hoping to get to these lovelies soon.

Witch Crag is the new novel from Kate Cann, a dystopian novel that will appeal to the fans of The Hunger Games. It is published on the 4th of October, alongside new editions  of Leaving Poppy, Possessed and Fire.  Thank you Scholastic for such fabulous books.

 On The Day I Died by Candace Fleming is published on the 27th September and consisted of thirteen stories from the grave... Published by Random House Children's Books.
Also published by an imprint of Random House Children's Books - Corgi - Mystic City with it stunning cover. An epic Romeo and Juliet style tale of a magical city divided. Published on the 11th October.  Thank you Random House Children's Books for both books.
Now Orion Children's Books know how much I love Sally Gardner, so I was thrilled when they sent me Operation Bunny. Illustrated by David Roberts, the book is aimed at the 8 + market and will be published on the 4th of October. It is the first book in the series of The Fairy Detective Agency! Thank you Orion's Children's Books.
School of Fear: Class Is Not Dismissed! By Gitty Daneshavari is the funny sequel to School of Fear and will be published by Atom on the 4th of October. Thank you Atom!
Secrets and Sapphires by Leila Rasheed is set in 1910 and is described as a Downton Abbeyish book! Yes I made that word up and I don't care! This is the first in the series and will be published in January 2013 by Hot Key Books. Thank you Hot Key Books.
The Obsidian Mirror by Catherine Fisher is the renowned author's latest book. It will be the first in a series called Chronoptika and will be published by Hodder Children's Books in October. Thank you Hodder Children's Books.

Breathe by Sarah Crossan will be published by Bloomsbury on the 11th October. Sarah has been described as exciting new voice in young adult fiction. Her debut book, The Weight of Water was published in January to high acclaim. 
Also from Bloomsbury book, another stunning cover - Dance of Shadows by Yelena Black which can be seen in the bottom right hand corner of the picture. Described as Black Swan meets Gossip Girl, this is the first book in a new series and will be published on the 14th of February 2013 - thank you Bloomsbury for both of these books. 
Ruthless by Sara Shepard is the tenth book in the Pretty Little Liars series which is now a major TV show around the world. This will be published on the 4th of October  by Atom. Thank you Atom!
The Other Half of Me by Morgan McCarthy will be published in paperback on the 8th November by Headline. When it was published in hardback earlier this year it received a huge amount of praise. Thank you Headline.
The last two books were kindly sent to me by Indigo, an imprint of Orion Children's Books and will both be published on the 4th of October. The Iron Jackal is the third book in the action packed, wise-cracking series by Chris Wooding. Red Glove by Holly Black is the second book in the sensational Curse Workers trilogy and has been on my wish list for ages. Seriously if you haven't read a book by Holly Black you are missing out. Thank you Indigo.

The books received in this Letterbox Love were received over a period of two weeks and I  didn't get time to write a post last week. I hope you all received fabulous goodies in the post too. 

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe at the Three Sixty Theatre

This post is really over due so apologies for anyone who was waiting to read it.
During the summer holidays my family and I went to see a production of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe at the Three Sixty Theatre situated in the stunning grounds of Kensington Palace.

I bought the tickets via Kids Week co. uk which allowed us to get free tickets for the girls. As I am sure many of you will know West End theatre tickets are very expensive and when buying for a family of four it worked out a ridiculous price, so to be able to get the children's tickets for free was an absolute bargain.
When we arrived, we found our seats had been upgraded - we went from sitting in the back row, to sitting in the second row from the front. Within the Three Sixty Theatre no seats could be considered bad seats - as the theatre is completely round and there are only about fifteen rows heading to the back.
The stage sits prominently in the middle and we were surprised to find how involved the audience felt when the stage show began. The actors and actresses would appear right beside us as they headed for the stage.
To be honest, I was a little sceptical about how good the show would be to begin with, but as it progressed I was completely drawn into it. By the time, Aslan arrived on the stage I was completely smitten.
The acting was brilliant, the minimal amount of props used really seemed to intensify the performance. The use of the theatre walls itself allowed the audience to feel like they were part of the experience.  I was totally mesmerised.

(I have borrowed this photo from The Telegraph where you can see more information about it here.) 
As you can see from the picture, Aslan moved around the stage with three visible performers but that didn't stop you believing he was real. With the voice of David Suchet, this magnificent puppet stole my heart. When the scene came for him to be murdered, I wept buckets.  I don't think I have ever been so moved by a stage performance ever.
The music from the show was haunting and it reached into my heart - I was clapping furiously by the end of the show. I can't remember the last time I enjoyed a show so much and my daughters loved it.
I will definitely be purchasing tickets next year for which ever story they plan to tell - I hope to make it an annual family outing!

For more details:
http://web.lionwitchtheshow.com/home

Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan

Pages - 373
Published by Simon and Schuster on 13th September 2012
Book kindly sent by publisher for an honest review.

Kami had been hearing a voice in her head all her life. When she was eight, people had thought it was cute that she had an imaginary friend. It was very different now that she was seventeen. Kami was accustomed to people thinking she was crazy. 
Goodreads Summary
Kami Glass is in love with someone she's never met - a boy the rest of the world is convinced is imaginary. This has made her an outsider in the sleepy English town of Sorry-in-the-Vale, but she doesn't complain. She runs the school newspaper and keeps to herself for the most part - until disturbing events begin to happen. There has been screaming in the woods and the dark, abandoned manor on the hill overlooking the town has lit up for the first time in 10 years. The Lynburn family, who ruled the town a generation ago and who all left without warning, have returned. As Kami starts to investigate for the paper, she finds out that the town she has loved all her life is hiding a multitude of secrets- and a murderer- and the key to it all just might be the boy in her head. The boy who everyone thought was imaginary may be real...and he may be dangerous.

*******

I wanted to really love this book. Everyone had been raving about how wonderful an author Sarah Rees Brennan was and I became desperate to read one of her books and although I enjoyed it I was left a little irritated by it.  I have rewritten this review a few times because I  found it really difficult to define what I actually felt about the book. I feel like I should sit on the fence and present my likes and dislikes and leave you to be the judge  whether this book is for you or not. 

I thought the storyline was very good; the author weaved into elements of magic and gave the story a fairy tale dusting which was intriguing and kept me reading.  I found most of  the characters very entertaining. Angela was definitely one of my favourite and came across as similar to an angry sloth. I don't think I have ever come across such an entertaining character before. She could have her own sitcom and I would be glued. 

The Lynburns were a rather strange family - I think the dancing in the rain would have had me backing away from them at speed. The only likeable character from that family was the rather temperamental and disagreeable Jared. The first real encounter between Jared and Kami was priceless - they had spent all their lives talking to each other telepathically yet when they actually meet, neither one is impressed by the other. 

The book has that Nancy Drew style of narrative to it, where the mystery unravels as the protagonist painstakingly tries to find out the truth.The plot was a mixture of old school mystery and modern day sitcoms, blended to create a charming Gothic tale.

 Sarah Rees Brennan would probably make an excellent stand up comedian as she is as witty in her writing as she is in real life. To begin with her witticisms had me snorting all over the place, however as the book progressed, I began to get fed up of them and  Kami, the main character began to grate on my nerves. The sarcasm that Kami used constantly to deal with difficult situations became annoying to me in the end and I felt it didn't fit  with the dark progression of the story. 

I found the pacing a little slow to begin with. A lot of the action doesn't actually occur until the last hundred pages where the initial part of the book deals quite heavily with the change in relationship between Kami and Jared. Personally I would have liked to have seen these elements run more smoothly side by side, so that the mystery was more evident throughout the book with the suspects being more evident to begin with. 

I also found myself getting really annoyed with the American language used by characters who were supposed to be English, in a book set in England. We don't ever talk about Jello, because we don't eat it - we definitely don't hail for cabs either.  I really felt that it lacked the Englishness it was trying so hard  to create. 

So on the whole I did enjoy the book but I felt that the issues I had with it stopped me really loving it. I am still interested to read other books by this author  and just because I didn't love, doesn't mean others won't. From the reviews I have seen on Goodreads, I would say this book is probably a Marmite book - you will either love it or hate it.  Personally, I am still balancing on the fence!

Guest post from Jean Lafitte - one of the main characters from Royal Street

Last week I told you how much I loved Royal Street by Suzanne Johnson. Well I was lucky enough to be asked by the lovely team at Headline if I would like to feature a guest post from the enigmatic and rather sexy Jean Lafitte. Who am I to say no?

Talk Like a Pirate: A Guest Post by Jean Lafitte, member of the Historical Undead

(As transcribed by Suzanne Johnson, author of Royal Street, in which Jean Lafitte appears as himself.

Bonjour, mes amies. Je m’appelle Jean…Bah. You wish this to be in English?

(Snarls at the lowly author transcribing his words onto a laptop, who nods.)

Very well. My name is Jean Lafitte, and in the year 1806, as a young man of twenty-six, I arrived in the city of New Orleans—Nouvelle Orleans sounds so much nicer, do you not think?

(Lowly author nods, since she has learned it’s much easier to just agree with whatever he says.)

Within a decade, I became the most famous privateer to sail the waters of the Gulf of Mexico and had a thousand men at my command on the coast of Louisiana. No one dared enter our waters without fear of our cannon and our fleet of armed ships.

(Lowly author pipes up: Most people know you as a pirate.)

Bah. History has called me a pirate, but I simply took what belonged to the Spanish, and they are mongrels, oui? You must stop interrupting me, Jolie.

(Lowly author swoons slightly at the endearment, issued in a deep, husky baritone with sexy accent.)

Now, where was I? Ah, oui. I was quite the handsome man, tall and well-formed, and many women wished to enjoy my company. As I am quite kind and considerate, I attempted to accommodate as many as possible.

(Lowly author rolls eyes.)

Of course, my human life reached an unfortunate end. But imagine my surprise when—voila!—I was given a second, immortal life through the power of human memory. Now, I am one of a group of formerly famous individuals known as the Historical Undead.

What do I do with my unlimited time, one might ask? This is my current difficulty. The borders between the Beyond, where I live along with other members of the Historical Undead (as well as such unsavory creatures as vampires and elves), are enforced by wizards. If I wish to enter modern New Orleans to conduct business or enjoy the company of a young lady, I must wait for someone with magical abilities to summon me.

Often, these are strange young people who expect me to look like someone they call “Johnny Depp” or “Jack Sparrow.” I do not know these blackguards, although I issue an open invitation to duel with this Captain Sparrow or Monsieur Depp should either be brave enough to face me.

(Lowly author considers trying to explain such newfangled things as movies, but decides against it.)

Once I am summoned, the local wizard sentinel then chases me down and sends me back to the Beyond without delay. How is a privateer to conduct business when he must constantly elude capture by a wizard?

Yet I have devised a plan. The current sentinel, an arrogant and unreasonable peasant of a wizard named Gerald St. Simon, has a young protégée—she is quite lovely, I am told, and I believe would be susceptible to my considerable charmes romantique. Her name is Drusilla, although she chooses to go by the unfortunate sobriquet of DJ. Bah—those are alphabet letters, not a name.

(Lowly author rolls her eyes again—she’s heard this tirade before.)

Nonetheless, the next time some human with magical talent summons Captain Jack Sparrow to New Orleans, I shall arrive and arrange to meet the lovely young wizardess in a remote location. Perhaps to woo her first with my considerable charmes d’amour, and then with a business proposition she will be unable to refuse. For to refuse the famous pirate Jean Lafitte? It could be deadly, n’est-ce pas?

(Lowly author points out that if he kills the heroine of this urban fantasy series, it will be a very short series indeed.)

And there you have it, my friends. The famous Jean Lafitte will seduce the young wizardess, secure a place in the modern world, and resume his business of privateering on the Gulf of Mexico. Bon chance.

Now how would you like to win a copy of Royal Street by Suzanne Johnson?
Well Headline are offering one copy to one of my lucky readers. The competition is for UK residents only I'm afraid as the publisher are sending it direct. To enter, fill in the form below.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Setting the Scene with Kenneth Oppel

Today on the blog I have the very talented Kenneth Oppel as part of the blog tour for Suck Wicked Intent which has to be one of the darkest Young Adult books I have read in a long time. 

Since This Dark Endeavour and Such Wicked Intent are prequels to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, I inherited the setting of Geneva, Switzerland. I wanted to be sure what Geneva was like around 1795 so I did some research and was quite excited by this old map of the city, which was defended by massive fortifications. The gates closed at 10pm every night and didn’t open till dawn the next morning. Even the harbour was secured with giant chains across its mouth. 

The city itself certainly plays an important part in the first novel (it is home to the mysterious alchemist Julius Polidori and his “pet” lynx, Krake) but even more important was where my Frankenstein brothers and Elizabeth Lavaneza lived: Chateau Frankenstein. And this I got to invent. 

 Chateau Frankenstein is pretty much the coolest place you could hope to grow up. It’s got turrets and ramparts and dungeons and a dock and secret passages. As a visual reference I used the Chateau de Chillon from Switzerland. 

It was big enough that my characters could carry on their investigations unnoticed, and contained a multitude of hiding spaces and secret chambers, including the Dark Library, built within the core of the chateau. 

 In Such Wicked Intent, Chateau Frankenstein turns out to be even older and bigger than Victor and the others realized. Beneath the chateau is a complex series of caves which contain primitive animal drawings -- and also drawings of humans, some of whom look rather bigger than a human being ought to. And these caves were in  part inspired by the fabulous Lascaux caves in France: 

Of course,  in my caverns, Victor and Elizabeth discover more than  just drawings. Oh, and Chateau Frankenstein also has a secret room accessed only through a keyhole in the sky, and which leads to the Spirit World -- but I don’t want to give any more away. 

Such Wicked Intent was published on the 2nd of August by David Fickling Books and is the second book in the series. This Dark Endeavour and Such Wicked Intent are both prequels to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. 

To find out more about Kenneth Oppel:

Blog: http://www.kennethoppel.ca/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/KennethOppelFan

Between The Lines by Jodi Picoult and Samantha Van Leer

Reviewed by Georgina Tranter

Published by Hodder & Stoughton on the 5th July 2012

Pages - 361

Once upon a time in a land far, far away there lived a brave king and a beautiful queen, who were so much in love that wherever they went, people stopped what they were doing just to watch them pass. Peasant wives who were fighting with their husbands suddenly forgot the reason for the argument; little boys who had been putting spiders in the braids of little girls tried to steal a kiss instead; artists wept because nothing they could create on canvas came close to approximating the purity of the love between King Maurice and Queen Maureen. On the day they learnt that they were going to have a child, it is said that a rainbow brighter and grander than anything ever seen before arched across the kingdom, as if the sky itself was waving a banner of joy.

Goodreads Summary

Delilah knows it’s weird, but she can’t stop reading her favourite fairy tale. Other girls her age are dating and cheer leading. But then, other girls are popular.

Delilah loves the comfort of the happy ending, and knowing there will be no surprises.

Until she gets the biggest surprise of all, when Prince Oliver looks out from the page and speaks to her.

Now Delilah must decide: will she do as Oliver asks, and help him to break out of the book? Or is this her chance to escape into happily ever after?

*****

Bestselling author Jodi Picoult has teamed up with her teenage daughter Samantha to write a novel for young adults. Between the Lines is the result of this partnership, and as a huge Picoult fan I couldn’t wait to review this title. Would it work, could she write as successfully for a younger audience?

Delilah is a sixteen year old school girl who dreams of happy endings. With divorced parents, Delilah is aware that real-life doesn’t always work out the way you want it to and she seeks solace in the books that she reads. One day in the school library she finds a book on a shelf that she has never noticed before. Taking it home she is immediately drawn into the fairy tale world of King Maurice and Queen Maureen.

She reads and re-reads the book to the extent that she knows every page off by heart, then one day she hears a voice from within the book – Prince Oliver is talking to her! Delilah is the first reader who has ever been able to hear him and they strike up a friendship that develops as time goes on. The big question is, how can they be together when one person lives in the real-world, and the other is trapped inside a book? Suspend your disbelief and think back to the favourite book that you always return to reading (my favourite is Diana Wynne Jones’ Fire and Hemlock) and imagine what could/would happen if the book could come to life.

The book is set into three distinct parts – the fairy tale, Oliver’s story and Delilah’s story and all written in different coloured inks with pictures from the fairy story to accompany the reader into the world of Between the Lines. We follow the story of Oliver and his quest to rescue the beautiful Princess Seraphima from the clutches of the evil Rapscullio. We then learn of Oliver’s desperation to escape the world that he is trapped in and his wish to enter into the real world. Delilah is having a hard time at school, she has already broken the knee of the head cheerleader and is clearly not very popular; she would much rather escape into fiction where things are clearly defined and the ending is always happy.

I loved this book, it’s nearly 400 pages long but it never felt like a struggle. The way that it is broken up makes it really readable, and the illustrations are so beautiful that this is a book I definitely want to share with my daughter when she is old enough. I questioned all of the positive comments that I initially read about this book, could it be that good, and were parents really reading it alongside their daughters – well it is, and they are. No violence, drugs or sex; just pure escapism, romance and fairy tales. Do Delilah and Oliver get their happy ending though? There’s only one way to find out, go between the lines.

If you are a big fan of Jodi Picoult, you might be interested in taking part  Jodi Picoult reading challenge which can be found here organised by the lovely Suko. 

Arabesque by Colin Mulhern

Published by Catnip Publishing in September 2012

Book kindly sent by publisher for an honest review

Pages - 303

Be the best.

It was a philosophy her  dad taught her. Her mother might have been content that Amy was healthy, happy, comfortable and doing well, but there were occasions when her dad would check that they were alone and quietly say,'Sometimes, Amy, there's no prize for second place. Do you know what I mean?'

Goodreads Summary

Amy May is the best at everything she does. But how do you know you're really the best until you're tested? Until you're pushed to the limit?

A botched kidnapping attempt drags Amy and her best friend into the depths of a criminal underworld, a world where the players think with bullets and blackmail. Where they will stop at nothing to get what they want.

And what they want, only Amy May can provide.

*******

If either Martina Cole or Lynda La Plante wrote Young Adult fiction, this is the kind of book they would produce. I 'm serious, it was like watching one of the BBC dramas unfold on television where as each layer of the story is revealed, an unsuspecting surprise pops out catapulting the story into a completely different direction. I went without sleep to read this book and that very rarely happens these days. I want to petition the BBC to make it into a film, with Ray Winstone as a definite candidate for one of the main characters. 

If I had a hundred copies of this book, I would be handing it out like candy. It really is a must read that will have you gripped and breathless. This book is like entering an East End version of the Twilight zone. You start with one kind of story and whoosh in a downward spiral into another which you are totally unprepared for. I couldn't have predicted how this story would end in a million years.  I have to give the author immense praise for such an excellent well written book. 

I loved Amy! I thought she was an amazing and strong willed character who could take on any of the kiss ass fantasy heroines presently slaying their way through the fiction world at the moment. Amy is calculated - everything she does is carefully thought through in the first place - there are many layers to this character and you watch in amazement as her real personality shines through. Amy reminded me of Catherine Zeta Jones in  Entrapment; she had that calculated view of life. 

I refuse to mention any of the plot as I would end up giving away spoilers. This book is best served without prior knowledge of the plot!

This book is a really gritty read and very compelling, even shocking at times. I was so drawn into the drama I often found myself skipping words and sentences as I was desperate to find out what happened in the end. 

I went through a roller coaster of emotions which left me gasping for air by the end.  I can't gush about this book enough. It is definitely one of my favourite reads this year. 

Emily Windsnap and The Land of the Midnight Sun winners

And the three winners of Emily Windsnap and the Land of the Midnight Sun are:

Petty Witter

Tamalyn Roberts

                                            Simon Collinge

Confirmation emails are heading your way. Well done to everyone who entered and keep your eyes open for the other competitions which are still running on the blog. 

Blackwood by Gwenda Bond

Published by Strange Chemisty on the 4th September 2012

Pages - 324

Book kindly sent by publisher for an honest review.

The first time Miranda Blackwood checked the back of her closet for a portal to another world she was eleven. That was the year her mother died. After the closet, she tried other places. She wandered small patches of woods, seeking doors hidden in twisted trees, and peered into mirrors, searching for reflections that weren't her own. 

Goodreads Summary

On Roanoke Island, the legend of the 114 people who mysteriously vanished from the Lost Colony hundreds of years ago is just an outdoor drama for the tourists, a story people tell. But when the island faces the sudden disappearance of 114 people now, an unlikely pair of 17-year-olds may be the only hope of bringing them back.

Miranda, a misfit girl from the island’s most infamous family, and Phillips, an exiled teen criminal who hears the voices of the dead, must dodge everyone from federal agents to long-dead alchemists as they work to uncover the secrets of the new Lost Colony. The one thing they can’t dodge is each other.

********
I went into this book rather blind to the story. I hadn't read any reviews, I didn't even read the blurb on the back.  I was basically led by the rather attractive cover and I thought  would let myself become absorbed and see if the story could unravel itself within the first couple of pages so that I would have a fair idea of what the story was about. From the first paragraph which I have quoted at the top I was drawn into the story. I felt the first few lines were powerful enough to make me read on. Once I discovered that the book revolved around a well known legend I was smitten. There is nothing more I enjoy than losing myself in a story that is based on truth, which leaves you with that questioning mind at the end where you wonder what really happened in the first place.

I had never ever heard of the Lost Colony legend and I didn't realise it was true until it was pointed out to me on Twitter, so I searched the internet for evidence which I discovered here. Blackwood was insprired by the original legend and I really do feel that the author has created a fascinating and thrilling story with the legend glistening as the centre piece. 

The characters were extremely well written  and very strong in temperament as they took on basically everyone in town. The story is told from the dual perspectives of Miranda and Phillips and it really helped to see it from both sides. Miranda and Phillips were viewed by most of their town as the type of kids you didn't really mix with, each one boosting a reputation that neither lived up to in reality, proving that rumours do escalate.  Both are very wary of each other to begin with and it takes time for Miranda to really trust that Phillips has her best interests at heart. She has been let down by so many in her past, she isn't quite ready to give all her trust. Gradually as the story progresses Miranda realises just how much Phillips is willing to sacrifice for her and they begin to appear like a modern YA version of Bonnie and Clyde as they dodge everyone in authority in order to discover the truth. 

As always, the dog was my favourite character! Add a lovely and loyal canine companion and I will always be captivated by the story. Sidekick is simply gorgeous and  I was desperate to rub behind his ears. 

John Dee was an interesting interpretation of the real person and his unhealthy interest in Miranda gave me the creeps, especially considering who he was portraying his feelings through. 

The plot was absorbing and gripping and reminded a little of the recent TV series Alcatraz. I was totally hooked throughout the book.  I really love how the author has interpreted this piece of history. An excellent debut where the author has taken a true story and completely made it her own by adding elements of magic and paranormal activity. 

Chuck a Book with Joanne Stapley

Featuring on Chuck a Book today I have the lovely Joanne Stapley from Once Upon A Bookcase

1) The best book you have ever read.

There are a number of books I class as favourites, but I now have two that share the official top spot. The first is high fantasy novel Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings, because it’s the book that made me fall in love with reading, and he second is historical fantasy The Night Circus by Erin Morgernstern – the descriptions in this book! The imagery, oh my word, it’s just amazing! I want to go to that circus!

2) A book you loved from your childhood.

I never liked reading as a child, so when we had to do it at school, I’d always go back to the same two books that weren’t boring to read (ha!). I really enjoyed The Magic Finger and Fantastic Mr. Fox, both by Roald Dahl.

3) A book that made you laugh.

Oh, there are so many! But YA contemporary One Seriously Messed-Up Week in the Otherwise Mundane and Uneventful Life of Jack Samonsite by Tom Clempson is the first that comes to mind. That book is hilarious!

4) A book you could not finish.

Oooh. This I don’t like admitting to. When I first became a reader, most of the books I read were my Dad’s high fantasy novels, and he hammered into me this rule that if you start a book, you read it until the end – “How can you say you don’t like a book when you haven’t read the whole thing?” (Recently he tells me that rule only counts if you’ve got past the first 100 pages, pfft!) But I make him right, there have been some books I found so boring at the beginning, yet loved in the end.

However, the one high fantasy book/series I could never get into was The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. I even tried an audiobook of The Fellowship of the Ring, as well as a physical book, it’s just not for me. But I expected not to like it as I didn’t enjoy The Hobbit. I always feel bad about not liking these books, though, because they’re like the kings of high fantasy, a genre I love, but I just can’t get into them. And they’re my Dad’s favourite books, so I kind of feel like a traitor, haha!

5) A book that made you swoon.

I’m going to go for the book I’m currently reading, because otherwise it’s hard to narrow down. Noah from YA contemporary Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry is completely swoonworthy – even if he is troubled and I disagree with some of his lifestyle choices. The way he feels about Echo though... wow. They have some serious chemistry! And I’m not even half way through yet! Otherwise, anything by Jeaniene Frost, Rachel Vincent, Karen Chance... I could go on. Those ladies can write some pretty hot guys and some awesome sexual tension scenes – and with Vincent, in both adult and YA!

6) A book you can’t wait to read.

Oh my god, where to begin?! Once Burned by Jeaniene Frost, Blood Bound by Rachel Vincent, The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver, The Gathering Dark by Leigh Bardugo, The Shifting Price of Prey by

Suzanne McLeod, Witchblood by Emma Mills – all books that I have on my TBR pile! I won’t even start on the books that I don’t have!

7) A series you have read and loved.

Oh, too many! Rachel Vincent’s Shifters and Soul Screamers series. Karen Chance’s Cassandra Palmer and Dorina Basarab series, Jeaniene Frost’s Night Huntress and Night Huntress World series, Rachel Caine’s Morganville Vampires series, Lauren Oliver’s Delirium series, Becca Fitzpatrick’s Hush, Hush series, David Eddings’ Belgariad and Mallorean series and his Elenium and Tamuli series, Robin Hobb’s The Farseer Trilogy, The Liveship Traders Trilogy, and The Tawny Man Trilogy, Raymond E. Feist’s The Riftwar Saga, Krondor’s Sons... I could go on and on! A great mix of urban fantasy, high fantasy and dystopia, adult and YA!

8) A book that made you cry.

There have been many, but the one that comes to mind first is Before I Die by Jenny Downham. Oh god how that book made me bawl!

(Before I Die is has been republished with a new title - Now Is Good and is a major film)

9) Your guilty pleasure book.

I don’t have a guilty pleasure book. I don’t think anyone should feel embarrassed by enjoying reading – no matter what it is, or what other people think about that book – at least you are reading, which is more than can be said for a number of people. Though, if others were to look on my bookcases, they would say the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer should go under this category.

10) A book that took you out of your comfort zone.

That would be The Ship Who Sang by Anne McCaffrey. I’m generally not a sci-fi fan (unless it’s a TV programme or a movie), but my Dad raved about McCaffrey’s novels, loved this one in particular, and practically demanded that I read it. It was a short book, but I was bored with every single page. I suppose the premise sounds quite good if it was a movie or something, but ugh. Just didn’t work for me. I’ve yet to pick up a book by McCaffrey since, even though my Dad thinks I’ll really enjoy her high fantasy Pern series. I’m able to read some light YA sci-fi now, but the genre as a whole has been tainted by this book for me.

Thank you Joanne for answering such difficulte questions.. If anyone would like to take part in Chuck a Book, please email me at vivienne_dacosta@hotmail.com and I will add you to the list. 

Cover Lust (9)

Here are the latest books to have me just drooling at the covers! 

Orleans by Sherri L. Smith. will be published by Putnam Publishing Group in March 2013. I can't help it but I love this cover and anything written about New Orleans is a good read in my books. 

A few of the lovely bloggers revealed this cover this week of the next book to be penned by the rather talented Cat Clarke. Undone will be published by Quercus in January 2013 and personally I can't blooming wait. If you haven't had the pleasure of reading a Cat Clarke book yet then you really need to!

This gorgeous cover was posted around the blogging world earlier this week and I actually misplaced the email after emptying out my email box. Luckily Laura at Sister Spooky posted this so we can all see how gorgeous it is. Mystic City by Theo Lawrence is published this week by Corgi Books and is a gripping Romeo and Juliet style novel! Can't wait to hear more. 

An email concerning this book dropped in my inbox this week and I was positively drooling. Set in the prestigious New York Ballet Company, this debut by Yelena Black will be published by Bloomsbury on the 14th of February. I can't wait to read this book!!!

I want them all! All I tell you! 

Scarlet by A. C. Gaughen

Reviewed by KM Lockwood

Published by Bloomsbury in February 2012

287 pages

No one really knows ‘bout me. I’m Rob’s secret, I’m his informant, I’m his shadow in dark places. No one takes me for more than a knockabout lad, a whip of a boy. They never really see. And I don’t mind that they don’t see. Like, when you walk through a room full of big men drunk off their skulls, it ain’t so bad to be ignored.

Summary by GoodReads

Many readers know the tale of Robin Hood, but they will be swept away by this new version full of action, secrets, and romance. Posing as one of Robin Hood’s thieves to avoid the wrath of the evil Thief Taker Lord Gisbourne, Scarlet has kept her identity secret from all of Nottinghamshire. Only the Hood and his band know the truth: the agile thief posing as a whip of a boy is actually a fearless young woman with a secret past. Helping the people of Nottingham outwit the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham could cost Scarlet her life as Gisbourne closes in. It’s only her fierce loyalty to Robin—whose quick smiles and

sharp temper have the rare power to unsettle her—that keeps Scarlet going and makes this fight worth dying for.

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In this debut YA novel, A.C. Gaughen uses Scarlet’s distinctive voice throughout. She reveals herself as an active, brave heroine with a great deal of attitude - and a hidden history which is gradually unravelled. Her emotional story focuses on a relatively small group of central characters, and particularly on a love triangle which is not resolved until the end. And even then, there is a possibility of further developments.

Though the tale is set in a medieval context, it is full of cheerful anachronisms. Do not expect an historically accurate book, think rather of films such as ‘A Knight’s Tale’ or ‘Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves’ and enjoy the exuberance. Clearly written for an American readership, it uses a spirited mixture of contemporary language and the author’s take on Nottinghamshire dialect. This gives Scarlet a memorable voice which pervades the whole book.

I do wish someone had pointed out that ‘Trent’ is the name of a river, not a place, but it’s not that important. I also thought that the cover looks more Edwardian than medieval – and Scarlet not much like a boy, but that’s fairly minor. However, I should point there are moments of violence – but nothing gratuitous. I must add that the fate of one very important character is left in the balance – so for those who want to know what Scarlet did next, it looks like a sequel is possible.

This book will suit those readers who want a romance with plenty of action, a distinctly fiery heroine and who enjoy a setting reminiscent of the Hollywood films of Errol Flynn.

The Movie Maker with Cassandra Rose Clarke

As part of The Assassin's Curse tour, I am really pleased to welcome Cassandra Rose Clark onto the blog to discuss her possible cast  should her book ever be made into a film. 

I adore films as much as I do books.  The two forms of media scratch different itches for me: both transmit stories and human experiences, but books do so though the beauty of language and the poetry of thought, whereas movies revel in auditory and visual beauty.  I’m actually one of those weirdos who will cheerfully pay twenty dollars to see a movie in an IMAX theatre, just because I love being completely subsumed into a movie’s world.

So as you might imagine, I’m jumping at the chance to write a post about a movie version of The Assassin’s Curse. 

The director is a pretty easy choice for me: Alfonso Cuaron. He’s directed some amazing and utterly devastating adult-oriented movies, like Y Tu Mama Tambien and Children of Men (one scene in the latter had me weeping uncontrollably). However, he also directed the third Harry Potter film and was responsible for the shift in tone that transformed those movies from a nice Christmas divergence into something more sinister and adult, befitting the rising threat of Voldemort in the story arc.  And his adaptation of A Little Princess was one of my favourite films as a little girl (before I even had any concept that movies were made by directors).

One of the things Cuaron does so well in both Harry Potter and A Little Princess is balance the human element with a pervading sense of magic. The magic feels not only integral to the world, but realistic, as if it could be a part of our world too. He can also direct a killer action sequence, but he’ll make you cry as you’re watching it. I would love to see how he would approach the characters and events in The Assassin’s Curse.

Next, it’s time for casting, which is a little trickier. I’m not as up on actors as I am on directors, but I’ve got a few choices I think would work.

For Ananna, I would cast Keisha Castle-Hughes, who played the main character in Whale Rider. While she doesn’t look exactly how I picture Ananna (Ananna’s supposed to be fairly curvy), she’s still quite close, and she would do a great job capturing Ananna’s no-nonsense personality.

Naji was a lot tougher. When I was writing the book, I kept picturing Oded Fehr, who’s perhaps most well known for a role in the 90s version of The Mummy. So he has the right look, but he’s about thirty years too old for the part! I would actually love to hear people’s suggestions as to who they think would make a great Naji.

Marjani, however, was a super easy choice: Rutina Wesley, who plays Tara on True Blood. She’s got the same mixture of intelligence and toughness that I imagined in Marjani.

For Tarrin of the Hariri, I’d probably go with Gael Garcia Bernal, because he’s sufficiently dreamy. He’s also pretty good at playing a jerk. That’s Tarrin!

Finally, I thought I’d take a look at some potential location options, if only because location and setting was such a huge part of the book. Here are some of the major ones:

Lisirra:

Ghardaia, in Algeria

The River Canyon:

Bryce Canyon, in Utah, USA

The Isles of the Sky:

Pacific Northwest rain forest

So there’s the framework for my dream Assassin’s Curse movie.  Maybe someday I’ll get to pay twenty dollars to see it in IMAX!

I get the impression Cassandra might have really enjoyed writing this ! Thank you Cassandra for a brilliant post.

The Assassin's Curse is published on the 2nd of October by Strange Chemistry. To read one of the first reviews, please click here. 

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As part of The Assassin's Curse blog tour, Cassie is offering up a one-of-a-kind signed and annotated copy of The Assassin's Curse - a copy where she's marked out her favourite scenes, given added extras, and drawn pictures. Because there is only one of these and a number of blogs doing the blog tour, one person from each blog will be chosen to enter a draw where Cassie will pick the overall winner. So if you would like to be in with a chance of winning this very special copy of The Assassin's Curse, then please leave a comment on the post about this book or concerning Cassandra's chosen cast, director or settings and your name may be chosen to enter the final.  This will close at midnight tomorrow - 22nd September. 

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To find out more about Cassandra Rose Clarke:

Website: http://www.cassandraroseclarke.com/

Twitter: @mitochondrial