The Husbands Secret by Liane Moriarty

The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Release Date: April 2013
Pages: 416



From Goodreads: "To be opened in the event of my death

With one swift, vicious movement, she sliced the envelope open, and pulled out a handwritten letter.love you and the girls...
so sorry to leave you with this...
cannot bear

Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society - Mary Shaffer & Annie Barrows

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows
Release Date: June 2009
Publisher: Allen and Unwin
Pages: 280

My Rating: 

From Goodreads: "It's 1946, and as Juliet Ashton sits at her desk in her Chelsea flat, she is stumped. A writer of witty newspaper columns during the war, she can't think of what to write next. Out of the blue, she receives a letter from one Dawsey Adams of Guernsey - by chance he's acquired a book Juliet once owned - and, emboldened by their mutual love of books, they begin a correspondence.

Dawsey is a member of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, and it's not long before the rest of the members write to Juliet - including the gawky Isola, who makes home-made potions, Eben, the fisherman who loves Shakespeare, and Will Thisbee, rag-and-bone man and chef of the famous potato peel pie. As letters fly back and forth, Juliet comes to know the extraordinary personalities of the Society and their lives under the German occupation of the island. Entranced by their stories, Juliet decides to visit the island to meet them properly - and unwittingly turns her life upside down."

See below the bump for the review! :D

Review: Creepy & Maud by Dianne Touchell

Creepy & Maud by Dianne Touchell
Release Date: October 1st 2012
Publisher: Fremantle Press
Source: Purchased by me
Pages: 220
 My Rating: 

From Goodreads: "Hilarious and heartbreaking, Creepy & Maud charts the relationship between two social misfits, played out in the space between their windows.

Creepy is a boy who watches from the shadows keenly observing and caustically commentating on human folly.

Maud is less certain. A confused girl with a condition that embarrasses her parents and assures her isolation.

Together Creepy and Maud discover something outside their own vulnerability — each other’s. But life is arbitrary; and loving someone doesn’t mean you can save them.

Creepy & Maud is a blackly funny and moving first novel that says; ‘You’re ok to be as screwed up as you think you are and you’re not alone in that.'"

Review: Crewel by Gennifer Albin

Crewel by Gennifer Albin
Release Date: October 4th 2012
Publisher: Faber & Faber
Source: Received from publisher
Format: Australian Paperback
Pages: 360
Find it on Goodreads
My Rating: 

From Goodreads: "Enter a tangled world of secrets and intrigue where a girl is in charge of other’s destinies, but not her own.

Sixteen-year-old Adelice Lewys has always been special. When her parents discover her gift—the ability to weave the very fabric of reality—they train her to hide it. For good reason, they don’t want her to become a Spinster — one of the elite, beautiful, and deadly women who determine what people eat, where they live, how many children they have, and even when they die.

Thrust into the opulent Western Coventry, Adelice will be tried, tested and tempted as she navigates the deadly politics at play behind its walls. Now caught in a web of lies and forbidden romance, she must unravel the sinister truth behind her own unspeakable power. Her world is hanging by a thread, and Adelice, alone, can decide to save it — or destroy it"

Thank you to the lovely people at Allen and Unwin for providing me with a copy for review. This in no way influences my review, all opinions expressed are my own.

Where to even start with Crewel? It was a new and unique concept, at least to me. Being able to alter threads of time? Pretty cool!

Adelice Lewys has a gift. Or I guess you could call it a curse. In a world where women, known as Spinsters, can thread time, nothing is easy. Time is nothing but a blanket of sorts, made up of threads. Spinster contain the ability to weave new threads but to also rip existing threads. Altering life and causing death.

Adelice's parents spent her whole life trying to conceal her from the Coventry, they didn't want her ability to become known. By anyone. At the end of the school year all the girls under go testing, testing to see if they could become a Spinster. Adelice has managed to hide her ability her entire life, but she slips during testing. She slips and she knows. She knows that they will come for her that very same night.

She doesn't tell her parents, so when they show up her parents have to act quickly. Adelice gets shoved into a secret under ground tunnel she knew nothing about with her mum and her sister. While her dad is left there to by them some time. Their plan fails though. Adelice gets caught, and running from collection is punishable by death. Only she wakes in the Coventry to find herself in a cell. Surely that is better than death?

Adelice starts to develop her ability inside the Coventry and along the way she discovers that she isn't like the other girls there. She is far more special than she ever thought, than any of them ever thought.

A unique and fast paced read that kept me on the edge and wanting to know more. I pleasantly surprised to find such a unique read in Crewel. Can't wait to see where the second book takes us and a very big door was opened right at the end of this story.

If you liked this review then make sure to check out my review of The Secret Hour by Scott Westerfeld, another book revolving around the concept of time.

What do you think? Does this sound like your type of read?

Happy reading!

Review: The Boy Who Fell to Earth by Kathy Lette

The Boy Who Fell to Earth by Kathy Lette
Release Date: March 1st 2012
Publisher: Bantam Press
Pages: 320
Source: Borrowed from Jodie
Find it on Goodreads


My Rating:


From Goodreads: "Meet Merlin. He's Lucy's bright, beautiful son -- who just happens to be autistic. Since Merlin's father left them in the lurch shortly after his diagnosis, Lucy has made Merlin the centre of her world. Struggling with the joys and tribulations of raising her eccentrically adorable yet challenging child, (if only Merlin came with operating instructions) Lucy doesn't have room for any other man in her life.

By the time Merlin turns ten, Lucy is seriously worried that the Pope might start ringing her up for tips on celibacy, so resolves to dip a poorly pedicured toe back into the world of dating. Thanks to Merlin's candour and quirkiness, things don't go quite to plan... Then, just when Lucy's resigned to a life of singledom once more, Archie -- the most imperfectly perfect man for her and her son -- lands on her doorstep. But then, so does Merlin's father, begging for forgiveness and a second chance. Does Lucy need a real father for Merlin -- or a real partner for herself?"

Thanks for letting me borrow this one Jodie! You have really opened my eyes to a whole new genre for me!!

I'm really not sure where to start with this review. I guess I will start by saying that I wasn't expecting to love this book as much as I did. I believe I even uttered the words "it is one of my new favourite books" to Jodie. I KNOW. That's big.

The Boy Who Fell to Earth is a wonderful combination of brilliant, witty, heart breaking, quirky, eye opening and funny. I could seriously throw all the adjectives around for this one. Kathy Lette is a genius. Yep. I said it. Genius.

Merlin is one of the most entertaining characters I have ever come across, and I read. A lot. He has Asperger's but this book is written in such a way that you don't feel sorry for him. He is so uniquely and genuinely him that you can't help but love and appreciate everything he says. His mind works so differently to mine that I often found myself thinking "why didn't I ever think about it that way?!" I am desperately wishing I had written down some quotes for you guys! Why didn't I do that?! Ugh how silly of me.

Now this story is more about Lucy, Merlin's mum, I found. It was written from her point of view. Lucy is struggling. She loves Merlin to no end but she doesn't know how to cope sometimes. He gets bullied in school but she can't afford to put him in a special needs school, and she was denied help from the government to do so. Her husband left not long after Merlin's diagnosis and ever since Lucy has been off men. There just isn't room for a man in her life when Merlin needs her so greatly. Only Merlin may not need her as much as she thinks. She coddles him too much, he is bright and smart but lacks in social skills which can often get him into a bit of a mess. I was really impressed with Kathy Lette's writing style. I liked that this was from the mothers point of view. It can't be easy having a kid with Asperger's and she finds herself wondering if she had done something wrong during her pregnancy. Don't get me wrong, Lucy loves Merlin, but it would be difficult to see your child struggle with Asperger's and Lette captures the essence if this greatly.

Things start to get real interesting in The Boy Who Fell to Earth when Archie shows up. Oh Archie, never have I found myself loving such a character. He is Lucy's cousins ex hubby, who is an Aussie (woop woop go us Aussies!) moves in with her because he needs a place to stay. He is a rock star, or well he used to be but he still holds the same beliefs that he did when he was one. He does nothing, I mean nothing around the house. He gives Merlin porn filled magazines among many other things. But he is great with Merlin. His first conversation with him had Lucy cringing to see what Archie's reaction would be but he brushes it off and makes a joke of it. He becomes an (interesting) father figure for Merlin and slowly captures the heart of Lucy. But with her ex husband just on the other side of her front door, she gets thrown around an emotional roller coaster.

A truly moving and quirky story that left me wanting more. This is a very new read for me, I generally try to steer away from adult books that have deep issues, from past experience I get too caught up in the sadness and end up bawling my eyes out. But this was a refreshing take on Asperger's taking a serious topic and giving it humor and love and all the things you could want in a story.

I highly recommend this to anyone and everyone. If this isn't your typical read then I more than highly recommend it to you. It might open some new doors for you like it did for me! If you are a fan of John Green's quirky and beautiful writing, then this might be one that you like. See my review of An Abundance of Katherines by John Green.

Have you read this? What did you think? Do you have any recommendations of books that are similar or have the same feel?

Happy reading!

Review: Of Poseidon by Anna Banks

Of Poseidon by Anna Banks
Release Date: June 1st 2012
Publisher: Hardie Egmont Grant
Pages: 324
Series: Of Poseidon #1
Source: Borrowed from Jade <3
Find it on Goodreads
My Rating: 

From Goodreads: "Galen is the prince of the Syrena, sent to land to find a girl he's heard can communicate with fish. Emma is on vacation at the beach. When she runs into Galen — literally, ouch! — both teens sense a connection. But it will take several encounters, including a deadly one with a shark, for Galen to be convinced of Emma's gifts. Now, if he can only convince Emma that she holds the key to his kingdom . . .

Told from both Emma and Galen's points of view, here is a fish-out-of-water story that sparkles with intrigue, humor, and waves of romance."

See below the bump for the review!

Review: Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter

Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter

Release Date: October 1st 2012
Series: White Rabbit Chronicles #1
Publisher: HarlequinTEEN
Source: received from publisher for review purposes
Format: Paperback
Collins | Book Depository | Amazon
My Rating: 

Alice Bell has lived her entire life with her father telling her and her sister about the monsters that roam the night time. Her father has always obsessed about the monsters, never letting his daughters out at night from pure fear of them. Everyone thinks that he has lost the plot.

Ali's sister desperately wants to perform in a dance recital. The only problem? It's at night, and her father would never go for it. This is where Ali steps in. For her sister she would do anything. Ali's birthday is coming up and her parents constantly forget, not much changes this year. Ali convinces her mum that it's ok, if they go to the recital. Somehow her parents are convinced and they go. The recital is a great success but now it's night time, and the Bell's are out in the open. 

Guest Review: Can You Keep a Secret by Sophie Kinsella

Hi everyone! 

I have something very special in store for you today! A guest review!! My lovely friend, Sophie is here today to review one of her (and my) favourite books! Now here is a bit of background! Sophie and I met through a mutual friend and have since become really good friends! We convinced each other to start blogs. Mine a book blog and hers a beauty blog. Well here we both are now! So please make her feel welcome (though I know you will!).

Short Review: Raw Blue by Kirsty Eagar

Raw Blue by Kirsty Eagar

Released: June 29th 2009
Publisher: Penguin Books Australia
Source: Library

My Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Raw Blue was an excellent read. I highly enjoyed it, even though it had me cringing at the Aussie slang in parts! Do we really sound like that?! Oh well this just added to the books awesomeness really. It is so refreshing to find a good Australian contemporary writer. It was such an emotional roller coaster. I could not put it down. Raw Blue is a book about finding yourself after terrible circumstances and trusting someone enough to let them into your life and love you. Kirsty Eagar is a literary genius and I can't wait to read more of her work. I have Night Beach waiting to be read and I'm excited!

Happy reading!
- Amy

Review: Liar by Justine Larbalestier

Liar by Justine Larbalestier
Released: September 29th 2009
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Source: Library
Collins | Dymocks | Book Depository | Amazon

My Rating: 2/5 Stars

From Goodreads: "Micah Wilkins is a liar.

But when Michah's boyfriend, Zach, dies under brutal circumstances, the shock might be enough to set her straight. Or maybe not. Especially when lying comes as naturally to her as breathing. Was Micah dating Zach? Did they kiss? Did she see him the night he died? And is she really hiding a family secret? Where does the actual truth lie? "

*This review contains spoilers*

There is a lot happening in this book and the tables seem to turn more often than they don't, and not in a way I liked. So the first nearly half of the book you're thinking that Michah is just your average high school girl, she barely ever tells the truth, no really, like ever. For starter's I'm not a big fan of characters who are constantly lying, they make me uneasy. Which I guess was the goal of this book, but it just didn't sit well with me. Liar is almost written as a kind of journal, Michah is telling us about her life, but she also lies to us. She tells us about her brother, only she doesn't have a brother. She is lying.

Halloween Spooktacular! Review: Slide - Jill Hathaway

Hi everyone and welcome to Halloween Spooktacular! If you would like to know more about this event and to also enter our first giveaway, please click here!

Slide byJill Hathaway
Series: Slide #1
Release Date: March 1st 2012
Publisher: HarperCollins
Source: Purchased myself

My Rating: 4/5 Stars
Spooky Rating: 3.5/5 Cobwebs

From Goodreads: "Vee Bell is certain of one irrefutable truth--her sister's friend Sophie didn't kill herself. She was murdered.

Vee knows this because she was there. Everyone believes Vee is narcoleptic, but she doesn't actually fall asleep during these episodes: When she passes out, she slides into somebody else's mind and experiences the world through that person's eyes. She's slid into her sister as she cheated on a math test, into a teacher sneaking a drink before class. She learned the worst about a supposed "friend" when she slid into her during a school dance. But nothing could have prepared Vee for what happens one October night when she slides into the mind of someone holding a bloody knife, standing over Sophie's slashed body.

Vee desperately wishes she could share her secret, but who would believe her? It sounds so crazy that she can't bring herself to tell her best friend, Rollins, let alone the police. Even if she could confide in Rollins, he has been acting distant lately, especially now that she's been spending more time with Zane.

Enmeshed in a terrifying web of secrets, lies, and danger and with no one to turn to, Vee must find a way to unmask the killer before he or she strikes again."

Let me start by saying that even before opening this book to start reading it, the cover had me spooked. I find that I can't look at it for too long because her face is way intense and I feel like she can somehow see deep into my soul. Creepy *shudders*. Because of this it took me a fair while to actually see the hands that are reflected in her eyes. Pretty cool little added detail there!

Now onto the actual review!

Review: Storm by Brigid Kemmerer

Storm by Brigid Kemmerer
Series: The Elementals #1
Published: April 1st 2012 (US), May 2012 (AU)
Publisher: Kensington (US) Allen and Unwin (AU)
Format: Paperback ARC, US edition
Source: Rebecca @ Reading Wishes
Find it: Goodreads | Collins | Dymocks | Book Depo | Amazon

My Rating: 5/5 Stars
(that's a total lie, more like 10/5 stars!!)

From Goodreads: "Becca Chandler is suddenly getting all the guys all the ones she doesn't want. Ever since her ex-boyfriend spread those lies about her. Then she saves Chris Merrick from a beating in the school parking lot. Chris is different. Way different: he can control water just like his brothers can control fire, wind, and earth. They're powerful. Dangerous. Marked for death.

And now that she knows the truth, so is Becca.

Secrets are hard to keep when your life's at stake. When Hunter, the mysterious new kid around school, turns up with a talent for being in the wrong place at the right time, Becca thinks she can trust him. But then Hunter goes head-to-head with Chris, and Becca wonders who's hiding the most dangerous truth of all.

The storm is coming"

I know I know!! I was incredibly late on the Storm band wagon. I KNOW. I seriously do not know why it took me so long to get my hands on it. I had only heard amazing things about it and I had been dying to read it for so long. It just so happened that I met up with Rebecca from Reading Wishes, who is so lovely she had stalked my goodreads page and saw that I hadn't read it. She had an extra copy so she gave it to me. wha?!! I think my eyes literally bulged out of their sockets. So thank you SO much Rebecca!! <3

Anyway on to the actual review, I apologise if it is all over the place, I'm still trying to organise my thoughts!

Review: Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson

Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson
Release Date: June 7th 2012
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Source: Received for review from Publisher
Collins | Dymocks | Book Depository

My Rating: 5/5 Stars.

From Goodreads: "Taylor Edwards’ family might not be the closest-knit—everyone is a little too busy and overscheduled—but for the most part, they get along just fine. Then Taylor’s dad gets devastating news, and her parents decide that the family will spend one last summer all together at their old lake house in the Pocono Mountains.

Crammed into a place much smaller and more rustic than they are used to, they begin to get to know each other again. And Taylor discovers that the people she thought she had left behind haven’t actually gone anywhere. Her former best friend is still around, as is her first boyfriend…and he’s much cuter at seventeen than he was at twelve.

As the summer progresses and the Edwards become more of a family, they’re more aware than ever that they’re battling a ticking clock. Sometimes, though, there is just enough time to get a second chance—with family, with friends, and with love."

Firstly I would like to say a massive thank you to the lovely people at Simon and Schuster for sending me a copy of this book for review purposes. This does not in any way alter my review or opinion of this book. 

I absolutely LOVED this book, I mean all caps LOVED. Morgan Matson is fast becoming one of my favourite YA contemporary authors. I adored Amy and Roger's Epic Detour, click the link to check out that review. After reading her first book I was seriously excited for Second Chance Summer, and it did not disappoint! 

Review: The Secret Hour by Scott Westerfeld

The Secret Hour by Scott Westerfeld

Released: February 14th 2004
Series: Midnighters #1
Publisher: Atom
Source: Library

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Oh my golly gosh. This book was awesome. If you could publish awesome, it would be in the form of this book. Big statement I know. But stay with me, because this book deserves much more attention!

Most of the YA community (in my experience) has read or at least heard of the Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld. Don't get me wrong, I adored that series too. But this? This was on a whole other level.

Now the Uglies series is still awesome, but since reading the books, I have come across books that are similar in some ways. Delirium being one, which I feel is a combo of Uglies and Matched. They are not exactly the same but that had the same feel. ANYWAY. The Secret Hour? So original! At least in my opinion. 

Review: Speechless by Hannah Harrington

Speechless by Hannah Harrington

Release Date: September 2012
Publisher: HarlequinTeen
Source: Received from publisher

Quick Thoughts: Really enjoyed Speechless. A strong story about the consequences of gossiping and bullying

Rating: 4/5 stars

Thank you to the wonderful people at HarlequinTeen for supplying me with a review copy of Speechless. This does not alter my review in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.

This is the first book I have read of Hannah Harrington's, though I have been trying to get my hands on a copy of Saving June!

I want to stop here and look at the cover. It in its self sends is so powerful and thought provoking that I just couldn't wait to dive into this book.

Speechless is thought provoking young adult novel, about the consequences of gossiping and bullying. Teens these days are faced with these everyday, becoming victims of gossip and bullying. Hannah gives a powerful voice to those being bullied. As in the case with Speechless the topic of bullying is Homophobia. Hannah approaches this issue with great care and a well thought out plot line.

Chelsea, the school gossip, and main character, finds herself in a very awkward situation. Having walked in on a boy from her school making out with another boy at a party, she instantly runs downstairs to tell her friends what she saw. Something that Chelsea ordinarily wouldn't think twice about. However, as soon as the words leave her mouth and she see's the reaction of the 'popular' boys at the school she regrets ever opening her mouth.

Chelsea later finds out that the boy from her school has been hospitalised. He was walking home from the party that night and was attacked and brutaly beaten up, winding up in hospital.

The last thing Chelsea says is to the police, revealing who beat up the boy and why. This begins Chelsea's vow of silence. After being the school gossiper for so long, and having now realised what effect it can have, she no longer wants the words to come out of her mouth to cause something like this again.

Chelsea carries on with her school year, becoming shunned by nearly the entire school. Now finds she is being bullied herself. In the only class she has a chance of escaping from all of that is art. But on the first day back at school she realises that Noah's best friend, Sam is in the class with her, not only that, the only seat left is the one next to her. This is going to be a total train wreck. Or so she thinks. You guessed it. She meets a boy, Sam. But he's not just any boy, he's Noah's best friend. Yikes! She feels guilty as hell but finds that Sam 

Speechless is a captivating story about a girl who was once a gossiper and bully herself, becoming the victim, allow with others in the story. Chelsea along the way tries to figure out who really matters, and how to be the type of person she doesn't hate and to just be happy. Through her journey of silence she makes new and unexpected friends and finds herself happier than she has ever been. 

I really loved this book and I just chewed through it so fast. Speechless keeps a good pace, that kept me interested throughout. Chelsea really grows as a character through this book and props to Hannah Harrington for achieving this really effectively!! Love love loved!

So, have you read Speechless? What were your thoughts?

Happy reading!
- Amy

Review: Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Release Date: December 2nd 2010
Publisher: Dutton
Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon

Quick thoughts: I absolutely adored this book! Definitely a must read. 

From Goodreads: "Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris - until she meets Etienne St. Clair: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.

As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near - misses end with the French kiss Anna - and readers - have long awaited?"

I have waited for my hold of this book to come into my library for (I kid you not) 3 months at the least. So I have been waiting a good long while to be able to read this one. When I finally got the email that it had come in I was so excited. I have read Lola and the Boy Next Door and really enjoyed it, though I would have liked to read this one first since both Anna and Etienne (<3<3<3 siiiiighhh) were mentioned.

Anna and the French Kiss follows the story of Anna and the gorgeous St. Clair, or as he is later known, Etienne (at the start of this book this really confused me, I thought they were two different people for a while... Oops! Pay attention Amy!) Anna is sent to Paris, against her wishes, to the American school there. She doesn't want to leave her friends, how will she survive a whole year away from her best friend when they do everything together? Her first night there, after her parents leave, she breaks down, she can't imagine what life will be like here and frankly she doesn't want to. That is until Meredith knocks on her door to check on her. The walls are paper thin and Meredith is her neighbour, she heard Anna crying. She invites Anna to her room where Anna discovers walls of endless posters. On leaving Merediths room for the night she (literally) runs in to Etienne, the most dreamy boy at the school. Later she finds out that Etienne is the St. Clair that Meredith told her about. Meredith introduces Anna to the rest of her friends and they integrate Anna into the group.

Along the way Anna finds herself falling for Etienne, er - St. Clair.. Even though she knows he has a girlfriend (booo!) and that Meredith likes him and has liked him for long time. All of that aside she and Etienne spend more and more time together. Especially when they are two of only a few who stay at the school over the break. They become best friends. He becomes the one who knows her better than anyone else there, and he is the one who steals her heart.

Stephanie Perkins has succeeded in creating a contemporary YA novel that is light hearted but at the same time invigorating. Anna and the French Kiss is a book that I could easily read over and over, which I rarely do, without getting bored. I anxiously await Isla and the Happy Ever After, said to be released in 2013. How on earth will I wait that long??!!

For those of you who have read both Anna and Lola, I ask you this: Etienne or Cricket?
Tough question for myself to answer... I think would have to say Etienne <3

Happy reading!
- Amy

Review: Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire
Release Date: August 14th 2012
Series: Beautiful #1
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Australia
Source: Copy supplied by publisher
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Quick thoughts: Must read! Edge of your seat good.

From Goodreads: "The new Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate number of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance from the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University's Walking One-Night Stand.

Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby needs—and wants—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the ultimate college campus charmer. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his appeal, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’s apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match."

Before I get into the review I would like to thank Simon and Schuster for supplying me with a copy of Beautiful Disaster for review. This does not in any way alter my review of this book. All opinions expressed are my honest thoughts.

I hadn't heard a lot about this prior to receiving it, I have been a bit absent from the book world. I was also on a book buying ban for a while so I didn't want to discover to many books that I needed or my purse would complain! Anyway onto the review.

I seriously could not put this book down. I didn't want to answer the phone, I didn't want to go to sleep, I didn't want to leave the house, not until I had finished this wonderful book.

Abby Abernathy. Where do I start. She is a good girl, but she hasn't always been. She moves towns and changes college to get away from her father and her past. She tries her best to keep her past a secret from everyone except her best friend, who not only witnessed her past but was part of the events that made Abby want to escape. I don't want to give too much away, but you know you're best friends when they up and leave with you to help get your Dad out of debt... And this is exactly what Abby's best friend does. Countless times. (I cannot for the life of me remember her name, but I have a feeling it's Maddie.... Could be wrong though).

Then there is Travis. The lean-mean-fighting machine. Oh and he tends to sleep around... A lot. All the girls on campus knows who he is, and most of them have spent one night with him. Only one. He has issues. lots of them. He is a fighter, 'the first rule of fight club: you don't talk about fight club' kind of fighter. I wasn't Travis' biggest fan in the start, but I sure did learn to love him!!

When Travis and Abby meet for the first time, she is at one of his fights, finding her self splattered with blood and way to close for comfort to the fight. This isn't her usual scene, but she was talked into it by her best friend and her boyfriend (Who so happens to be Travis' best friend!). The second time they meet Travis tries to work his charm on Abby and she shuts him down, Intriguing him even further.

Love is just around the corner for these too, but they keep making wrong turns and doing u-turns and 8 point turns.. I think you get the picture. It ends up being somewhat of a beautiful disaster.

Jamie McGuire has done an excellent job of creating characters with such depth and passion. There are twists and turns that I didn't see coming, particularly about Abby's past. I just couldn't figure out what had happened. I love being surprised by books and not being able to predict what's going to happen next. Beautiful Disaster had me on the edge of my seat the entire time that I am surprised I didn't fall off. If you haven't already, I highly suggest you read it!

I don't want to wait for the second book in this series. I am very curious about how Jamie McGuire will go about it. According to the media release the second book, Walking Disaster will be release in 2013 and the story will be continued from a 'different and surprising point of view.' So excited!!!

Have you read Beautiful Disaster? If so, what did you think?

Happy reading!
- Amy

Review: Pure by Julianna Baggott

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Pure by Julianna Baggott
Release Date: February 8th 2012
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Edition: ARC, 448 pages

My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

From Goodreads: "We know you are here, our brothers and sisters .

Pressia barely remembers the Detonations or much about life during the Before. In her sleeping cabinet behind the rubble of an old barbershop where she lives with her grandfather, she thinks about what is lost-how the world went from amusement parks, movie theaters, birthday parties, fathers and mothers . . . to ash and dust, scars, permanent burns, and fused, damaged bodies. And now, at an age when everyone is required to turn themselves over to the militia to either be trained as a soldier or, if they are too damaged and weak, to be used as live targets, Pressia can no longer pretend to be small. Pressia is on the run.

Burn a Pure and Breathe the Ash . . .
There are those who escaped the apocalypse unmarked. Pures. They are tucked safely inside the Dome that protects their healthy, superior bodies. Yet Partridge, whose father is one of the most influential men in the Dome, feels isolated and lonely. Different. He thinks about loss-maybe just because his family is broken; his father is emotionally distant; his brother killed himself; and his mother never made it inside their shelter. Or maybe it's his claustrophobia: his feeling that this Dome has become a swaddling of intensely rigid order. So when a slipped phrase suggests his mother might still be alive, Partridge risks his life to leave the Dome to find her.

When Pressia meets Partridge, their worlds shatter all over again."

I borrowed an ARC of this book from a friend who wasn't sure if they were enjoying it. So she gave it to me to read to see if I enjoyed it. With this book that is a tough question to answer. It's safe to say that this book is very unique. Pure is not like anything I have ever read before. 

It was hard for me to decide what rating to give this book, it was either going to be 3 or 3.5 stars. I contemplated not finishing this book, the first half of the book was tough for me to get through, it was slow moving and mainly setting up the world the characters live in and giving background on what has happened. I know this was necessary since it's the first book in a new series but I just couldn't get into it. However the second half made up for this. The second half was action packed and twists were revealed that I wouldn't have even thought to expect. I was expecting there to be a love triangle, and here was me thinking 'not ANOTHER love triangle, I can't cope!" But no I was wrong, there was no love triangle... But I won't tell you why, for spoiler reasons! 

Pure follows the story of Pressia, Partridge and Bradwell. They live in a world that has changed drastically. A dome has fallen on their town and unless you were within the dome when it fell like Partridge was, you became literally attached to the closest object to you. For Pressia it was a baby doll, which she now has as a hand. For Bradwell it was birds, he now has birds on his back. This blew my mind. The birds didn't die, they still flap their wings and everything. Pressia and Bradwell were lucky, others not so much. Some people were only close to the ground or glass or something else solid that caused them to die a very unfortunate death.

For those inside the dome life seems perfect, they don't know what goes on outside and most of them see no reason to care. Partridge used to be one of them. Until he breaks out, something that has not been done before. He breaks out and sees what life is like outside and begins to hate is Father who is the equivalent of a mayor for inside the dome. 

Julianna Baggott has succeeded in creating such a unique story that the idea alone is enough to warrant you reading this book. I'm hoping that the second instalment of this book will be more action filled and fast paced. Obviously this first book has to set up the world that the characters live in and that takes a bit of time, now that this has been done, hopefully the second book will pick up the pace!

I did enjoy this book and if this sounds up your alley then you should give it a go!

Have you read Pure? I'd be interested to hear what you thought of it!

Happy reading!
- Amy

Review: A Witch in Winter by Ruth Warburton

A Witch in Winter by Ruth Warburton
Release Date: January 5th 2012
Publisher: Hodder Children's Books
Edition: Proof Copy, 346 pages
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

My Rating: 4/5 Stars

From Goodreads: "Anna Winterson doesn't know she's a witch and would probably mock you for believing in magic, but after moving to the small town of Winter with her father, she learns more than she ever wanted to about power. When Anna meets Seth, she is smitten, but when she enchants him to love her, she unwittingly amplifies a deadly conflict between two witch clans and splits her own heart in two. She wants to love Seth, to let him love her – but if it is her magic that's controlling his passion, then she is as monstrous as the witch clan who are trying to use her amazing powers for their own gain. 

Although a perfect fit for the paranormal romance genre, A WITCH IN WINTER avoids fangs, excessive body hair and submissive female leads, and tells the heart-wrenching story of a couple meant to be together, but being forced apart. Seth is utterly irresistible and Anna is an empowered, proactive young woman with unimaginable magic inside her. This is fast-paced, sensuous writing with believable incantations inspired by Warburton's research into witchcraft legend and old English"

I won this book in a giveaway hosted by the author, Ruth Warburton on twitter, so I would like to say thank you! Receiving a free copy of this book does not influence my review. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Though it did take a lot longer to read than I would have liked. This had nothing to do with the writing or the story, purely because I was so busy that I didn't have much time to read. 

Anna is a witch. A witch who doesn't believe in witches. When she moves to a small town and into 'Wicker House,' things start to change. Anna experiences crazy storms and finds a very unusual book, and manages to enchant a boy into loving her. Sounds juicy right? Well it is. 

Anna is a great female lead. She has been without a Mother most of her life and she has turned out just fine. Though she wishes that her Dad would tell her what happened or even more about her Mum. Especially once she finds out she is a witch. She manages though, finding a clan that are willing to help her and in turn she is willing to help. When it comes down to it, she will put her life on the line to save her new town and her new friends. 

Seth, oh lovely lovely Seth. The boy with the bad reputation. The same boy that Anna casts a love potion on. A nice twist to the story as we think that he is in love with Anna because the spell, while towards the end we aren't sure. There are also questions raised about who Seth is. Upon meeting one of his relatives who tells Anna to leave them alone her type aren't good for them. So there are many questions to be answered in the second instalment! 

Overall this was a fast paced, action packed, filled with boy drama novel that Ruth Warburton has managed to carry out very well. She has done an amazing job creating a unique and very intriguing story that kept me hooked the entire way! Can't wait for the second book!

I know this review is a little sparse compared to my others, but I read it a couple of weeks or so ago and should have written the review then, but I found myself without the time! Pretty much all you need to know though, is that this book was amazing, and you should check it out :)

What are you all currently reading? I'm on a book buying ban so I will be living vicariously through you until I finish my TBR pile!! 

Happy Reading!

- Amy