It's Monday, What are you Reading? (15)

This meme was started at J. Kaye's Book Blog but has now moved to One Person's Journey Through a World of Books run by Sheila. 

Books read last week: (Click on the links to read my reviews)

Books read last week but reviewed this week:

1. Hand of Fate - Lis Wiehl with April Henry
2. Wolf Flight - Vivian Arend

These are the books I read last week:

1. Generation 18 - Keri Arthur
2. The Devil's Due - Jenna Black
3. First Howl & Second Howl - by Vivian Arend (2 short stories)
4. Viola in Reel Life - Adriana Trigiani
5. Bloodlust - Larissa Ione (short story)
6. Weaved for Pleasure - Stella & Audra Price (short story)
7. Shift - Rachel Vincent
8. Stolen - Kelley Armstrong

I was almost caught up with my reviews but it wasn't meant to be & I'm now behind again!  I will catch up eventually LOL.

What I'm reading now:

What I'll be reading next:

I have quite a few books I want to read this week - I'm trying to catch up on the Otherworld series by Kelley Armstrong so I can read Frostbitten that I was sent for review.  I've also got quite a few library books that I really should start working my way through & I want to spend some time catching up on writing my outstanding reviews.

Challenge updates:

100+ Reading Challenge - Read 68/100

Young Adult Reading Challenge - Read 23/50

Support Your Local Library Challenge - Read 26/25

Terry Pratchett Challenge - Read 1/12
L.J. Smith Reading Challenge (Vampire Diaries) - Read 0/5
Awesome Author Challenge - Read 20/20 - COMPLETE

Paranormal Reading Challenge - Read 50/50 - COMPLETE

Speculative Fiction Reading Challenge - Read 24/24 - COMPLETE
Thriller & Suspense Reading Challenge - Read 1/12

What are you reading?

In My Mailbox (16)

Thanks to Kristi at The Story Siren for hosting In My Mailbox every week.

Books Purchased:

1. His Darkest Hunger by Juliana Stone (this book was released on my birthday & I've been waiting ages for Amazon to deliver it!  I'm really looking forward to reading this so you shouldn't have to wait too long to see a review for this one)
2. Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles (I loved Perfect Chemistry and have heard great things about Leaving Paradise so I had to order it)

Library Finds:

Full Moon Rising, Beneath A Darkening Moon & Circle of Death by Keri Arthur - Keri is still a fairly new author for me but I've been really enjoying her books and am currently working my way through her backlist (which is quite an impressive list LOL)

Competition Prizes:

I won a signed ARC of Mistress by Mistake from Maggie Robinson and a copy of Hell Fire from author Ann Aguirre after they both held giveaways on Twitter.  Both of these books look fab & I'm looking forward to reading them!

For Review:

I received copies of Frostbitten by Kelley Armstrong and The Iron Hunt by Marjorie M. Liu from Orbit this week.  I am already a fan of the Otherworld series by Kelley Armstrong and am busy catching up with the books so I can read Frostbitten.  I've not heard much about The Iron Hunt but I love the description & I think it's going to be one I'll really enjoy.

What was in your mailbox this week?

While you're here don't forget to check out my giveaway for The Island by Sarah Singleton - it's international and you don't have to be a follower to enter (although of course I'd love it if you were LOL).  It is open until the 30th April & you can enter by clicking here

Giveaway: The Island - Sarah Singleton - GIVEAWAY CLOSED

*UPDATE - THIS GIVEAWAY HAS NOW ENDED - Winners

announced here*

I received a copy of The Island by Sarah Singleton for review from Simon & Schuster UK.  I have read the book and Sarah Singleton has done a beautiful job describing India but this just wasn't my kind of book.  I'd like to see this go to someone who will enjoy it so with Simon & Schuster's permission I'm holding a giveaway for my copy of this book.

Otto, Jen and Charlotte are off to India for the trip of a lifetime.  Arriving ahead of the others, Otto's soon enjoying the beach paradise they've all dreamed of.  But when he discovers a girl dead in the shallows, he's suddenly thrust into the middle of a murder investigation.

And then he disappears.

As their dream holiday unravels, can Charlotte and Jen find their friend and prove his innocence - without putting themselves at risk?

Visit Sarah Singleton's page on the Simon & Schuster website for more information

Giveaway Details:

• The giveaway is international so anyone can enter on the condition that they agree to write a review when they have read the book.
• You don't have to be a follower to enter (although of course I'd love it if you were LOL)
• You can get extra entries by spreading the word but that isn't required
• To enter please fill in the form below
• You have until 30th April to enter the giveaway and I'll announce the winner on 1st May.  I will email the winner as well as announcing it on my blog and you will have 48 hours to contact me or another winner will be chosen. 

ARC Review: Viola in Reel Life - Adriana Trigiani

Viola doesn't want to go to boarding school, but somehow she ends up at the Prefect Academy, which feels like a million miles away from her home in New York.

Viola's sure she won't survive the year - especially since her three new roommates all seem to like being at Prefect.  Her only comfort is her camera and her dreams of becoming a film maker.

But life at Prefect is nothing like Viola thought it would be and soon she realises that this could be the most incredible year of her life; if she can just learn to put the camera down and let the real world in...

Viola in Reel Life is already available in hardback but is being released in paperback in the UK on 29th April 2010 by Simon & Schuster

For more information visit Adriana Trigiani's author page on the Simon & Schuster website

Review:
Viola is a fairly typical 14 year old girl who thinks her life has ended when her parents send her away from her home in New York to attend a boarding school in Indiana.  She doesn't want to leave her friends or her family and she is convinced that she will hate every minute that she is away.  The only comfort is her trusty video camera which she uses to create a video diary.  But life at boarding school is nothing like she expects it to be and it may just be that she ends up having the time of her life.

This is a story about growing up, friendship and first love and was an enjoyable light read.  I'm 31 and although I enjoyed the story and love reading YA books I feel that this is more suited to a younger audience.  It is the kind of book I would have loved to read as a teenager.  Adriana Trigiani has done a great job of creating the life of a modern teenager using both instant messaging and texting to add to the characters.  I liked Viola and her roommates and the way they came together to help each other throughout the story. 

This may be Adriana's first young adult book and the first book of hers that I've read but I will definitely be looking out for some of her adult books in the future.  I would happily recommend this to teenagers but only to adults who are looking for a light hearted, entertaining read.

Source: Recieved for review from publisher Simon & Schuster

Other Reviews:
We Adore A Happy Ending
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

UK YA Blogger Meet Up Details

I posted back in February that Jo from Once Upon A Bookcase was trying to organise a meet up in London for any interested YA Book Bloggers.  The details were confirmed a couple of weeks ago so I'm very late in posting this but I wanted to let you all know about it in case you missed the previous announcement!

When?

Saturday 15th May at 12pm

Where?

All the details can be found on Jo's post here

 

Who's Attending?

Jo of Once Upon a Bookcase & Ink and Paper

Lynsey of Narratively Speaking

Sophie of So Many Books, So Little Time

Nayuleska of Nayu's Reading Corner

Lauren of I Was a Teenage Book Geek

Becky of The Bookette

Carly of Writing From the Tub

Sammee of I Want to Read That

Cat - unpublished YA author who blogs on This Counts as Writing, Right?

Keren David - YA author who blogs on Almost True

And finally me LOL

I'm really looking forward to meeting everyone & I want to say a massive thank you to Jo who has gone to a lot of trouble organising everything for us all!  I'm sure we'd all love it if even more people could come so if you're not on the list but are interested in coming head on over to Once Upon A Bookcase & let Jo know you're coming!  Just a reminder - for safety reasons if you're under 18 please come with an adult

Review: First Howl & Second Howl - Vivian Arend

First Howl:
The Granite Lake pack’s First Night celebrations are loud, boisterous and full of fun. But Robyn and Keil, the pack Alphas, are looking for a bit of quiet for a private celebration…

Second Howl:
The Granite Lake pack’s First Night celebrations are loud, boisterous and full of fun. Missy and Tad, the pack Omegas, have other ideas about a good way to ring in the New Year…

Both of these short stories are set 10 months after the completion of Wolf Signs and Wolf Flight, and are best read after both books.  These books can both be downloaded FREE from Vivian Arend's website here

Granite Lake Wolves Series:
Wolf Signs (Novella)
Wolf Flight (Novella)
First Howl (Short Story free on Vivian's website)
Second Howl (Short Story free on Vivian's website)
Wolf Games (Novella)
Wolf Tracks (Novella)
Wolf Line (Novella)
Wolf Nip (Novella)

Takhini Wolves Series:
(This is a spin off from the Granite Lake Wolves series but can be read separately)
Black Gold
Silver Mine
Diamond Dust
Moon Shine

Takhini Shifters Series:
(This is a spin off off the Granite Lake and Takhini Wolves series but can be read separately)
Copper King (Novella)
Laird Wolf (Novella)

Visit Vivian Arend's website for more information

Review:
I really enjoyed getting to revisit both of these couples for their first New Years celebration together.  Like with the first 2 novels the events in both of these stories run simultaniously so there is some cross over between them but I don't think it would make much difference which order you read them in.  I would recommend reading Wolf Signs and Wolf Flight first though.

Both couples have now settled into their places in pack life but they are all happy to take the opportunity for some one to one time to celebrate the new year.  I don't want to say much more than that as it would be too easy to give spoilers but I just have to say I'd love to share a picnic with Tad one day!  If you're a fan of this series then I'm sure you'll enjoy both of these stories so make sure you check them out.

Source: Free Downloads from Vivian Arend's website

Other reviews of this book:
If you have reviewed these short stories on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Review: The Devil's Due - Jenna Black

Things aren't going very well for exorcist Morgan Kingsley.  She's been betrayed by the boyfriend of her dreams, her brother has been repossessed, and she's unable to escape from the hunky demon who shares her body.  All Morgan wants is to curl up and avoid reality for a while.  But she can't.  A woman named Claudia Brewster seeks her services.

During the brief time that Claudia has been on a cruise, her son, Tommy, has changed from an invective-spewing member of an anti-demon society to a happy little demon host.  Claudia smells a rat - as does Morgan - but all the paperwork looks legal.  That is, until Morgan begins digging up the secrets of Tommy's past and finds herself deep in another deadly conspiracy...

Morgan Kingsley Series:
The Devil Inside
The Devil You Know
The Devil's Due
Speak of the Devil
The Devil's Playground

For more information visit Jenna Black's website

Review:
This is the third book in the Morgan Kingsley series so there may be spoilers for the first 2 books included in this review.  If you are new to the series then I recommend you check out my review for book one - The Devil Inside - rather than reading any further.

When Morgan is asked by Claudia to investigate the circumstances surrounding her son Tommy's decision to become a demon host she soon realises something isn't right.  All of the paperwork is in order but something is very strange when someone is a member of an anti-demon society and then within a matter of days they have become a demon host.  If Morgan exorcises a legal demon she'll be looking at a murder charge but that doesn't stop her wanting to investigate further.  What she isn't expecting is the trouble she finds herself in when she begins her investigation - once again she is going to need the help of her friends is she wants to solve the mystery.

I really enjoyed this third installment of the Morgan Kingsley series - in fact I think I'd have to say that this was my favorite book so far.  The series really does seem to be coming into it's own with each new book and I'm looking forward to reading the next installment.  I like the fact that Morgan is becoming less self obsessed and more concerned with others than she was before.  She is still the snarky, bad tempered character that I've grown to love but we are starting to see a more caring side to her which gives her more depth.  I'm also enjoying the series more now that the S&M side has been toned down but that is down to my personal preference.

I'm happy that we're getting to see more of Lugh's personality as he is one of my favorite characters in the series.  I was also pleased that we get to know Adam better - I'm finding him much easier to relate to now.  If you liked the first 2 books in the series then I'm sure you'll enjoy this installment.

Source: Library

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.