Heat Wave by Richard Castle

A New York real estate tycoon plunges to his death on a Manhattan sidewalk. A trophy wife with a past survives a narrow escape from a brazen attack. Mobsters and moguls with no shortage of reasons to kill trot out their alibis. And then, in the suffocating grip of a record heat wave, comes another shocking murder and a sharp turn in a tense journey into the dirty little secrets of the wealthy. Secrets that prove to be fatal. Secrets that lay hidden in the dark until one NYPD detective shines a light.

Nikki Heat is homicide detective in New York City. She is witty and smart and very good at her job of hunting down bad guys. Based on one of my favourite TV shows Castle and its two main characters Castle and Beckett, it was easy to imagine them as the characters, their voices and actions; but I’m not this made it easier to read or not. I didn’t get lost in the story the way I do when it’s on TV but that is mainly due to my lack of reading crime novels. I still liked it, it was interesting reading, but I don’t think crime novels are for me. I much prefer to watch it all unfold and see the tells myself rather than letting Nikki do it for me.

While the genre might not be for me, I did enjoy reading it and giving it a chance. Especially a book based on my favourite crime partners. The relationship between Nikki and Jameson Rook (a.k.a Castle) was very funny and sometime even adorable, the way they traded comments and ideas. And I really liked Rook, the handsome devil, with his command of the English language and witty comebacks.

As for the story, I never guess the killer right until it’s revealed. Although some clues were lost on me, it was very engaging and detailed. Sometimes a little too much and I skipped over it, sometimes not enough and I was lost. But even though sometimes it sounded like bad fanfiction, it was nicely balanced between crime-solving and relationship-making.

This book goes towards my Lucky No.14 reading challenge. 

Published 1st October 2012 by Titan Books. 

The Name On Your Wrist by Helen Hiorns

It's the first thing they teach you when you start school. But they don't need to; your parents tell you when you're first learning how to say your name. It's drummed into you whilst you're taking your first stumbling steps. It's your lullaby. From the moment it first appears, you don't tell anyone the name on your wrist.

In Corin's world, your carpinomen - the name of your soul mate, marked indelibly on your wrist from the age of two or three - is everything. It's your most preciously guarded secret; a piece of knowledge that can give another person ultimate power over you. People spend years, even decades, searching for the one they're supposed to be with.

But what if you never find that person? Or you do, but you just don't love them? What if you fall for someone else - someone other than the name on your wrist?

And what if - like Corin - the last thing in the world you want is to be found?

Corin's futuristic world is in despair and broken, but one thing makes sense: the name of your true love tattooed on your wrist. It is your most dangerous secret and is kept covered at all times. But Corin doesn't want to find her carpinomen, in fact she could care less about the name on her wrist because she doesn't really believe in soul mates. Not after her dad died, leaving her mother alone, not after her sister nearly died trying to crave the name off her wrist. Corin's defence is sarcasm, which made her very funny but distant. I only sort of understood Corin but did really like her. 

The pace and suspense was very good, giving away subtle clues as to what made Corin act this way and why she is so interested in suicidal political statements. It was secretive and creative; I only guessed the secrets right half the time! But even though I couldn't quite connect with Corin like I wanted, the story and the world was very original and raised interesting questions; it commented on freedom and how we use/squander it, as well as what happens when you can't find your soul mate? Or you fall in love with someone else?

Even though it was a bleak and corrupt world, I loved learning about it through Corin's eyes. She was interested in the secrets the government were keeping but not strong enough to try and do anything about it; she may be smart-mouthed but ultimately just a girl who was scared for herself. I couldn't help but feel for her, stuck in a world that didn't really make sense and took all the choice out of life. I think the scariest thing about this world was that it was entirely possible and logical. So while the ending felt somewhat rushed, I completely loved falling into this world and am really looking forward to more from this debut author.

Published 15th July 2013 by Random House. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

Red by Alison Cherry

Top student. Beauty queen. Girlfriend of the hottest football jock: Felicity's got everything. And it's all down to her red, red hair.

Felicity lives in Scarletville, the world's only redhead sanctuary, where red hair is celebrated, protected - and the key to sucess.

But Felicity has a secret. A red hot secret. And if anyone finds out, she's finished.

Because Felicity's actually a natural blonde.

And in Scarletville, blondes need not apply.

Scarletville is a city where redheads have all the power and priority. Which means that every other hair colour are pushed to the back of the line and treated as second-class citizens. By using hair colour as an indication of superiority, it raised interesting issues of prejudice but I'm not sure it was addressed as well as it could have been, because it seemed petty.

Felicity was vain and self-absorbed; she only cared about keeping her secret so she can compete in the Miss Scarlet pageant. Which she was only a part of because of her mother, previous winner and pageant consultant, wants her to. I'm not sure if I liked Felicity; I felt sorry for her, you could tell that keeping this secret was stressing her out. But she was also frustrating because she refused to stand up for herself in case she lost her red-cred. Felicity's best friends were interesting characters. I didn't like Haylie but I did really liked Ivy. I'm not sure if we were supposed to but as a redhead who didn't care about the Scarletville ideology she was very refreshing, especially when Haylie was a bit of a bitch.

As for the blackmailer, Gabby was revealed much sooner than I thought but it actually worked to have a face for Felicity to fight against, and for Gabby to explain her reasons for this social experiment. As a brunette, Gabby had her reasons for wanting to disrupt the ridiculous social hierarchy of Scarletville. But I didn't really understand why, if the other hair colours didn't like the way they are treated, they didn't just move. It seemed weird that they could leave town easily and see that it was different out there. And Felicity was so shocked to hear people openly discuss dying hair when it is something that is so secret in Scarletville.

Red raised some interesting issues and I did like it but I think Felicity could have had a stronger backbone so she didn't feel like her world was ending when it was revealed her hair is a lighter red than everyone else's. It explored discrimination very well, especially when they leave town to go shopping and Haylie tries to jump a queue, but I would have loved Felicity to act differently and stand up for herself sooner.

Published  2nd January 2014 by Quercus. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

Weekly Highlights: the 'I'm on holiday' edition

Weekly Highlights is a feature borrowed from Faye of A Daydreamer's Thoughts, where I get to highlight my posts of the week, show you my new books and talk about bookish things! 

So, the news this week is that right now, I'm on holiday. My family have a time share in the Lakes and I haven't been in over a decade, and it's not like I have a job, so yeah, holiday! Anyway, apart from that, nothing new so happy reading and see you all next week!

On The Blog

Review of It Felt Like A Kiss by Sarra Manning (4.5 stars)
Review of Eve and Adam by Michael Grant and Katherine Applegate (3 stars)
Review of Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein (4 stars)

Currently Reading

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell and The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E Smith - of course, I might have finished these by the time this goes up. I'm also bringing with me Vampire Diaries by LJ Smith, books one and two, Heart-Shaped Bruise by Tanya Byrne and Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor on my kindle. 

On My Bookshelf

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Cath and Wren are identical twins, and until recently they did absolutely everything together. Now they're off to university and Wren's decided she doesn't want to be one half of a pair any more - she wants to dance, meet boys, go to parties and let loose. It's not so easy for Cath. She's horribly shy and has always buried herself in the fan fiction she writes, where she always knows exactly what to say and can write a romance far more intense than anything she's experienced in real life. Without Wren Cath is completely on her own and totally outside her comfort zone. She's got a surly room-mate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words ...And she can't stop worrying about her dad, who's loving and fragile and has never really been alone. Now Cath has to decide whether she's ready to open her heart to new people and new experiences, and she's realizing that there's more to learn about love than she ever thought possible ...

Yay! I can finally read this book that everyone's raving about! And just in time for holiday reading!

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

I have two weeks. You’ll shoot me at the end no matter what I do.

That’s what you do to enemy agents. It’s what we do to enemy agents. But I look at all the dark and twisted roads ahead and cooperation is the easy way out. Possibly the only way out for a girl caught red-handed doing dirty work like mine — and I will do anything, anything, to avoid SS-Hauptsturmführer von Linden interrogating me again.

He has said that I can have as much paper as I need. All I have to do is cough up everything I can remember about the British War Effort. And I’m going to. But the story of how I came to be here starts with my friend Maddie. She is the pilot who flew me into France — an Allied Invasion of Two.

We are a sensational team.

A Flight Operative, code name Verity, crashed in Nazi-occupied France and was captured as a spy. Interrogated and tortured as an English spy, which annoys her beyond belief because she is Scottish, the narrative consists of her letters to herself, her confession, part of the deal she made with her interrogator in return for her clothes. As she says, it seems petty but it was easy. As I read more about Verity's betrayal of her country, I felt so bad. Then I realised, goodness knows why it took me so long, Julie can't tell the truth, it's being read by the bad guy!

It was so very clever, the way that Verity (Julie) told the truth without really telling them anything. Of course, as the clues piece together, you realise why she is so good at this but I was still incredibly impressed with her bravery and skill at playing them. Most of these clues some in the second part, narrated by another character, code name Kittyhawk. Her narrative was like the final piece of the puzzle and everything made sense and I felt awful for doubting Julie's integrity and skill but also incredibly moved by her story and proud of her for keeping it all together.

This is such an amazing example of historical fiction and why I love the genre; all the details of the planes, airfields and bunkers were very believable, it was frightening with the threats of torture and of dropping bombs, and so beautifully written, even with the odd switching between tenses and past/present. Amazingly, I followed it; Julie's letters were essentially her talking to herself and the changing tenses and perspectives was her making sense of the story, spinning it for her interrogators. 

The story that Wein told was absolutely heartbreaking at times; I could not believe how much these two girls, so completely different, cared so much for each other and how much I adored them both. Yet it was still so funny! Even in the midst of torture and near-death experiences, both Julie and Maddie managed to keep smiling. The strength of their friendship was beautifully crafted and their story was gut-wrenching. Honestly, if you haven't read this book by now, what the heck are you waiting for?

Published 6th Feburary 2012 by Egmont Press. 

Eve and Adam by Michael Grant and Katherine Applegate

Sixteen-year-old Evening Spiker lives an affluent life in San Francisco with her mother, Terra, a successful geneticist and owner of Spiker Biotech. Sure, Evening misses her father who died mysteriously, but she’s never really questioned it. Much like how she’s never stopped to think how off it is that she’s never been sick. That is, until she’s struck by a car and is exposed to extensive injuries. Injuries that seem to be healing faster than physically possible.

While recuperating in Spiker Biotech’s lush facilities, she meets Solo Plissken, a very attractive, if off-putting boy her age who spent his life at Spiker Biotech. Like Evening, he’s never questioned anything... until now. Solo drops hints to Evening that something isn’t right, and Terra may be behind it. Evening puts this out of her mind and begins her summer internship project: To simulate the creation of the perfect boy. With the help of Solo, Evening uncovers secrets so big they could change the world completely.

Evening was hit by a car, distracted by an apple. The ironic imagery was not lost on me! Her mother, head of a pharmaceutical company, whisks her away to her private ward in Spiker Biotech where she can heal in peace. Yet it seems as though just after two days her leg, which was crushed under a car and mangled beyond belief, is now perfect without a scratch! More than just her magical healing abilities is going on at Spiker Biotech and Solo is determined to find out what and put a stop to it. It is just a pity that Evening is now in the middle of it. 

The story was not quite what I thought it would be; not so much about creating Adam and their relationship, as it was about the company and Evening's mother being a heartless bitch that possibly broke laws. Also a lot of science talk that reflects the implications of playing God. It was all very well balanced, with normal teenage drama of stupid boyfriends and crushes, to running away from corrupt scientists and bending the rules on playing with genetics.

Although it wasn't what I expected, I still flew through the book. It was split with dual narrative with Evening and Solo: both very interesting characters. Evening was pretty spoilt but working on her attitude, while Solo was cool and determined to avenge his parents, but getting quickly distracted by Evening. Then it gets complicated as even more secrets pour out about the biotech company that neither of them want to hear. It was all very cloak-and-dagger with corrupt employees, blackmail and even murder. Then Adam comes to life and he is eerily perfect but god, he was boring! If nothing else, then this books teaches that perfect is boring. And also non-existent, as Evening forgot to give him bravery which means he cowers in a corner when his so-called soulmate is being shot at. 

Although there were several issues I had with this, I did enjoy it. I didn't believe the insta-love between Evening and Solo, no matter how much I liked Solo (for no apparent reason, by the way, I just did); Terra Spiker as evil incarnate was just too easy; and Evening just plain annoyed me. So it could have been a lot better, but it was still pretty dramatic and just complicated enough to keep me interested. 

Published 1st October 2012 by Egmont Books.

It Felt Like A Kiss by Sarra Manning

Ellie manages a swank Mayfair gallery, but it’s her life that’s a real work of art. Great job, really good hair, loyal friends, loving family. It’s only her succession of lame duck boyfriends that ruin the picture.

Oh, and the world-famous rock-star father she’s never met, who won’t even acknowledge her existence.

Then Ellie’s perfect life is smashed to pieces when her secret is sold to the highest bidder and her name, face (and pictures of her bottom) are splashed across the tabloids. Suddenly everyone thinks she’s a gold-digging, sex-crazy, famewhore.

Enter David Gold. Charming and handsome David Gold. On paper he’s even more perfect than Ellie, if only he wasn’t her father’s ruthlessly ambitious lawyer whose job is to manage the crisis – and her. He certainly doesn’t think that Ellie’s the innocent party and she doesn’t trust him at all. So why is it that every time they’re alone together, damage limitation is the last thing on their minds?

Oh, adult contemporary, you can be a bit hit and miss with me. I do love you but sometimes you can be a little boring compared to my normal fantasy/sci-fi reads. Luckily, It Felt Like A Kiss was anything but boring, even in its normalcy. If you can call having a rock star dad and lies printed in the tabloids about you "normal". 

Ellie leads a nice and controlled life; she works in an art gallery, has two great roommates, has learned how to control her frizzy hair and has an amazing family. Well, one half anyway. Her dad's family sort of doesn't know she exists because he's a famous musician and her mum was the "other woman". It isn't actually that bad, as we see because Manning writes in a sort of spilt narrative, skipping between the past and the present to give the reader the full picture of how Ari and Billy Kay's relationship blossomed and died. This also gives evidence that the tabloids are spouting rubbish, just in case we couldn't trust Ellie. Which I totally did because even if she has rubbish taste in guys, she was completely adorable. 

The story blends Ellie's past and family with her present and future relationships; even though I thought it would be mainly about Ellie and her famous father, it focused on Ellie and how her life changed and she handled the sudden spotlight. I loved it, I mean the press was infuriating and there were moments when I wanted to throw my kindle across the room, there were also such sweet moments, usually between Ellie and her mum/family or Ellie and new heart-throb David Gold, that I practically swooned with joy. Then, because David's a moron with no understanding of human emotions, I wanted to throw the kindle again. Oh how I really wanted to like David Gold. And I did but most of the time, I wanted to smack him for hiding behind the lawyer suit and speaking absolute crap!

I thought there may be a possibility for reconciliation between Ellie and Ari and Billy Kay but no, the truth comes out that he's a bit of a... ahem, rude word. The conclusion, the big dramatic finish, was a real heart in my throat moment of panic as Ellie attempts to tell her side of the story live on TV but is sabotaged. Luckily, Ellie has much more self-control than that, at least more than me because I was yelling at the screen, and scrapes by the better woman. And it's even a happy ending, as it should be in romances, with everyone learning to compromise and "I really do love you actually" moments that makes my heart squeeze. 

Published 30th January 2014 by Corgi. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review. 

Weekly Highlights: the 'book swap' edition

Weekly Highlights is a feature borrowed from Faye of A Daydreamer's Thoughts, where I get to highlight my posts of the week, show you my new books and talk about bookish things!  

Nothing too exciting to report this week. No new books, as you will see, but I did get invited to Hachette's Books With Bite launch so I've got a list of books that are available to swap.

On The Blog

Discussion: Happy Birthday Awful Lot of Reading!
Review of The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (5 stars)
Review of Soulmates by Holly Bourne (5 stars)
Review of Because It Is My Blood by Gabrielle Zevin (4 stars)

Currently Reading

The Name on Your Wrist by Helen Hiorns - just started it, but it is good so far. 

On My Bookshelf

I didn't get any new books this week (amazingly) but I've sorted through my shelves and have got quite a few to get rid of. So below is the list of books that I can take to the Books With Bite/Hachette launch at the end of January. Let me know if you would like any of them, but only if you're actually going! I've also posted a picture on twitter, which is you can see here. 

- Uglies series by Scott Westerfield
- Tormet by Lauren Kate (bound proof)
- The Colour of Space by HP Lovecraft
- Emma Hearts LA by Keris Stainton
- The Rest Falls Away by Colleen Gleason
- Ill Wind by Rachel Caine
- I, Corriander by Sally Gardener
- Portal 24 by Meredith Stroud
- Insatiable by Meg Cabot
- Changeling by Phillippa Gregory
- Under My Hat: Tales From The Cauldron anthology
- Gothic: The Original Dark Tales anthology
- The Soterion Mission by Stewart Ross
- Just Listen by Sarah Dessen
- Carnival of Souls by Melissa Marr
- Unrest by Michelle Harrison
- The Hit by Melvin Burgess

Because It Is My Blood by Gabrielle Zevin

Since her release from Liberty Children's Facility, Anya Balanchine is determined to follow the straight and narrow. Unfortunately, her criminal record is making it hard for her to do that. No high school wants her with a gun possession charge on her rap sheet. Plus, all the people in her life have moved on: Natty has skipped two grades at Holy Trinity, Scarlet and Gable seem closer than ever, and even Win is in a new relationship. But when old friends return demanding that certain debts be paid, Anya is thrown right back into the criminal world that she had been determined to escape. It's a journey that will take her across the ocean and straight into the heart of the birthplace of chocolate where her resolve--and her heart--will be tested as never before.

I do love reading about Annie's adventures - this time she is still in danger but is forced to flee the country, for her own and her family's safety. Because, once again, she's in trouble with the law and Charles Delacroix makes things worse. But rather than just stashing her away in prison, Anya's life is in danger and it's the quick-thinking of her lawyers and the bravery of her and her friends that gets her out of the country before things hit the fan.

This book can essentially be split into three: before Mexico, in Mexico, and back in New York. All three parts are full of dangers and secrets, the most precedent is that Anya's being screwed over again. She is a tool in Mr Delacriox's run for office and comes off worse for wear, with the whole being sent to prison for no good reason. Then in Mexico, she is sent to her cousin's wife's family who runs a cacao farm. There, Anya discovers more about the family business, and what it means to be a Balanchine and in the chocolate business. As much as I love the grime and grit of New York, it was nice to see Anya in a different setting, especially such a humid one as Mexico. Anya has never left the city before and you could really sense her shock and interest at how things were different, like chocolate was legal, and the hot weather, and the hard work that goes into farming.

And finally, back in New York, Anya's still be danger after an attempt on her life and seemingly the hit came from her own family, but at least she's on her home turf. Not that is any better when someone is trying to take over her family business by killing her. The underground politics was fascinating, if a little complicated. Easy enough to follow, you know, the cousin's wife is the competition, there may be a new half-brother in the mix, Anya's "too young" to understand it all, blah blah. But she really holds her own, she was fed up (understandably) with her crappy lot in life and taking everyone else's orders so she finally does something about it. Something unexpected, but I was proud of her. 

In the midst of all this, there was still the family and friendship drama that makes Anya's home life complicated. I loved her relationship with Natty in the first book and it's still going strong in this one, as well as Scarlet and Win, although there are some, let's say complications on that front! But Annie's growing up and is staking her claim in the chocolate business, showing New York once and for all that she is not to be reckoned with.

Published 29th August 2013 by MacMillan's Children's Books.

Lucky 14 Reading Challenge: sign up

Books to Share is hosting this fantastic challenge that I just had to sign up for! Check out all the details here. Basically you have to read a book for each of the challenges, which are listed below, along with my chosen book.

1. Visit The Country: Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys - New Orleans in the 50's, still counts right?

2. Cover Lust: Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan - I won a US hardback copy, ooh months ago and it sounds so good!

3. Blame it on Bloggers: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare - definitely Sophie's fault!

4. Bargain All The Way: Beautiful Chaos by Gary Russell - a Doctor Who novel, re-published to celebrate the 50th anniversary. 

5. (Not So) Fresh From the Oven: The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater 

6. First Letter’s Rule: Anomaly by Krista McGee 

7. Once Upon a Time: Dracula and Other Horror Stories by Bram Stoker - yeah, that's definitely older than me!

8. Chunky Brick: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl - 562 pages, eep!

9.  Favourite Author: Paper Towns by John Green - one of the only books of his I haven't read and I've had on my shelf for months

10. It’s Been There Forever: Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly - bought for my dissertation but never used

11. Movies vs Books: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - technically a re-read but it was years ago 

12. Freebies Time: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night time by Mark Haddon - Christmas present from The Boyfriend

13. Not My Cup of Tea: Heat Wave by Richard Castle - a crime novel, based on my favourite TV series Castle

14: Walking Down the Memory Lane: The Mediator series by Meg Cabot - my favourite books by her and the series that got me into fantasy genre.

Soulmates by Holly Bourne

Every so often, two people are born who are the perfect matches for each other. Soulmates. But while the odds of this happening are about as likely as being struck by lightning, when these people do meet and fall in love…thunderstorms, lightning strikes and lashings of rain are only the beginning of their problems.

Enter Poppy, the 17-year-old cynic with a serious addiction to banana milk, and Noah, the heart-throb guitarist; residents of mediocre Middletown, sometime students, and…soulmates. 

After a chance meeting at a local band night, Poppy and Noah find themselves swept up in a whirlwind romance unlike anything they’ve ever experienced before. But with a secret international agency preparing to separate them, a trail of destruction rumbling in their wake, (and a looming psychology coursework deadline), they are left with an impossible choice between the end of the world, or a life without love…

The story of Poppy and Noah was romantic but realistic; you know, apart from the creepy Big Brother anti-love thing. But more on that later. Poppy had no interest in boys so when there is news of a band with a hot guitarist, she spares barely a passing glance. But when she and her friends go to the gig, Poppy faints. Nothing new, she has this thing but seeing Noah seems to make it worse. Confused and conflicted, Poppy acts like a bit of a bitch the first time they speak, not surprising considering so-called friend Ruth is being rude, and she storms off. 

After that, they bump into each other a few more times and their strange spark is growing stronger. Ever the romantic, I found their story and growing attachment so very sweet and more importantly, entirely possible. The science behind the attachment is explained later, so in the middle of their love story, all you see is them understanding and bettering each other. But there were some interruptions, hinting at something much bigger and dangerous than two teens falling in love. 

I couldn't really fault Poppy; even though she was too young to be cynic, she was friendly and funny, talked her mouth off which was adorable. Oooh, and Noah! I think I've got a new book boyfriend! A bit of a self-assured douche at first, he melted with Poppy's interactions and the longer she knew him, the more layers he pulled back. The trust and understanding between them was heart warming, so much it hurt when I knew they were going to be pulled apart. 

The narrative and the characters were so very English, I loved it! Cups of teas, complaining about the weather and the "cheers m'dears" reminded me of everything I love and recognise. But the danger that lurked beneath the surface bubbled closer; the scientists across the pond watching with clinical fascination to their encounters, the weather going mad every time they touched and gradually getting worse. Which was scary-reading in the middle of a very real storm outside the window, let me tell you! 

I cannot rave about this book enough! The story was perfect, the characters were perfectly flawed and interesting and annoying, the narrative almost breaking the fourth wall with Poppy's whole 'I don't want to be a cliché!', and the love story broke my heart. I laughed, I cried, and I really want you to go read this! Now please!

Published 1st September 2013 by Usborne Publishing. 

The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Cassie Hobbes is not like most teenagers. Most teenagers don’t lose their mother in a bloody, unsolved kidnapping. Most teenagers can’t tell who you are, where you’re from and how you’re likely to behave within moments of meeting you. And most teenagers don’t get chosen to join The Naturals.

Identified by the FBI as uniquely gifted, Cassie is recruited to an elite school where a small number of teens are trained to hone their exceptional abilites.

For Cassie, trying to make friends with the girls, and to figure out the two very different, very hot boys, is challenging enough. But when a serial killer begins recreating the details of her mother’s horrific crime scene, she realises just how dangerous life in The Naturals could be...

Cassie has a pretty special ability to read people's behaviour and posture and everything about them. Think Sherlock Holmes-type of intuition. It was impressive and a bit weird but what was really scary was when she was recruited by a new branch of the FBI, to be part of a secret group of gifted teens to help the FBI solve crimes. Superpower teens solving crimes? Heck yes!

I was instantly intrigued; apparently I'm on a 'weird thriller' run! The whole blend of drama, mystery and romance was compelling and very well done, especially from Cassie's point of view where nothing really made sense in this madhouse. Speaking of the madhouse, god these kids are annoying! Another profiler like Cassie, a boy who can read emotions, a pathological liar/lie detector and a klepto with a gift for numbers. None of them have much in the way of social skills and most of them also have the annoying habit of spouting out whatever nonsense first comes to mind; mind you, most of the time, that was hilarious! 

Weirdly, and probably scarily, I found the lessons on victimology fascinating. Yes, the crimes and the scenarios were morbid but, like Cassie, I like to understand the killer's or in fact anyone's motivation.  Not only were the teens training to help the FBI with cold cases, but there was a killer closing in on them, specifically focusing on Cassie. And as the killer gets closer, Cassie is terrified but also determined to get who she believes is responsible for her mother's death. It was completely thrilling and enthralling, in a 'heart in my throat' sort of way, especially the last part when the truth comes out. I never saw the killer coming, I nearly dropped the book when I found out!

All in all, a fantastic book that shows what good thrillers need: a story to make turning the page a compulsion, characters to root for and hate at the same time, and a killer to shock you. The Naturals had all that and more, I'm so glad I started the year off with this corker of a book!

Published 7th November 2013 by Quercus. 

Happy Birthday, Awful Lot of Reading!

12 January 2012 - the beginning of An Awful Lot Of Reading

Yes, I can hardly believe it but my blog is two years old! Last year I celebrated with a giveaway and this year I'm afraid I've been a bit busy and preoccupied to organise myself - in fact, I almost forgot about my blogoversary all together!

Even though I don't have a giveaway for you (sorry about that, but hopefully soon!) I had to mark the occasion somehow, so I've decided to reflect and bore you all with the details. 

I might be quite young compared to some of my blogger friends but now I've been around for a while, I think I've learned some things in my time. Like don't let the lack of views and/or comments get you down, and you shouldn't let internet trolls ruin the experience of blogging for you. I can guarantee that I've felt a bit rubbish at blogging at several moments over the last two years and even thought of stopping at least once, but even though there have been some really sucky moments, I am so glad I didn't stop. Because even though all the bad thoughts, the lack of feedback and publishing contacts really did make my cry, I'm actually really proud of myself that I kept going. Yeah, I'm not the most well-known but I have made the best of friends, found a great support network and some friends in publishing and writing. It might have taken two years to get my blog to where I wanted it but it was worth it.

Not to say I don't want to stop there. I mean, come on, I only have - combining blogger and bloglovin - about 70 followers. Compared to some, that's nothing! But I am truly honoured to have any at all, so thank you for sticking with me and here's to spreading the book love!

Now that's out the way, let's skip ahead to what's going to happen now. I've learned a lot since my first review (Frankenstein, FYI) and hopefully I've gotten better *fingers crossed* But I don't want to stop there. You may have noticed that I'm writing more discussion and personal posts; I really want to keep that going, I like writing things other than sometimes-read reviews! Posts that get people talking, heck flocking to my blog would awesome! So I'd like to turn to you, my lovely readers, to ask for any suggestions, requests even, of anything you might like to hear my opinion on. 

I'd also love to get involved in other projects. I don't have any of my own right now, apart from my WIP, so I'd like to direct your attention, if I may, to Project UKYA. Created by Lucy, Queen of Contemporary, it highlights and supports UK based authors and books set in our little country. As much as I adore books set just about anywhere, I love it when it's places I recognise. Maybe it's easier for me to relate to, to place myself in the characters shoes, maybe it's easier to imagine the scene when it's somewhere I've seen for real, but mostly, I think UKYA has something very special to offer readers and while it is difficult to pinpoint, that style and feel, I love it all the same. 

I think that's enough of my words. So let me finish up by thanking each and every one of you for supporting my blog, and me, and join me in wishing An Awful Lot of Reading a very happy birthday. 

Weekly Highlights: the 'Bout of Books' edition

Weekly Highlights is a feature borrowed from Faye of A Daydreamer's Thoughts, where I get to highlight my posts of the week, show you my new books and talk about bookish things! 

It's only been two weeks but I've had a lot of catch up on, it seems! In the start of the new year, I've written reviews, a sort of personal post and signed up to my first read-a-thon! Good start to 2014, huh? Add in the 4 books read already, and I'm happy! 

In other news, today is my second blogoversary! Tomorrow I'm celebrating properly with a special post of what is supposed to be mature reflection but will probably sound like garbled nonsense. But you can forgive me, because it's my birthday!

On The Blog

Review of Antigoddess by Kendare Blake (4 stars)
Discussion: Bring on 2014!
Review: The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler (4 stars)
Review of Night School by CJ Daugerty (4 stars)
Review of Imposter by Susanne Winnacker (4 stars)
Review of Pawn by Aimee Carter (4 stars)

Bout of Books 9.0

At the beginning of the week, I set out to read 3 and a half books: the rest of Soulmates, Because It Is My Blood, Eve and Adam, and It Felt Like A Kiss. Well, even though the read-a-thon doesn't finish until tonight, I've done it! Finished Eve and Adam in bed this morning, so yeah, first read-a-thon completed!

You can check out my sign-up post here, and my goals post here.

On My Bookshelf

Wake by Lisa McMann

For seventeen-year-old Janie, getting sucked into other people's dreams is getting old. Especially the falling dreams, the naked-but-nobody-notices dreams, and the sex-crazed dreams. Janie's seen enough fantasy booty to last her a lifetime.

She can't tell anybody about what she does -- they'd never believe her, or worse, they'd think she's a freak. So Janie lives on the fringe, cursed with an ability she doesn't want and can't control.

Then she falls into a gruesome nightmare, one that chills her to the bone. For the first time, Janie is more than a witness to someone else's twisted psyche. She is a participant....

A nice find in my charity shop, wouldn't you say?

It Felt Like A Kiss by Sarra Manning
Ellie manages a swank Mayfair gallery, but it’s her life that’s a real work of art. Great job, really good hair, loyal friends, loving family. It’s only her succession of lame duck boyfriends that ruin the picture. Oh, and the world-famous rock-star father she’s never met, who won’t even acknowledge her existence.

Then Ellie’s perfect life is smashed to pieces when her secret is sold to the highest bidder and her name, face (and pictures of her bottom) are splashed across the tabloids. Suddenly everyone thinks she’s a gold-digging, sex-crazy, famewhore.

Enter David Gold. Charming and handsome David Gold. On paper he’s even more perfect than Ellie, if only he wasn’t her father’s ruthlessly ambitious lawyer whose job is to manage the crisis – and her. He certainly doesn’t think that Ellie’s the innocent party and she doesn’t trust him at all. So why is it that every time they’re alone together, damage limitation is the last thing on their minds?

A great find on Netgalley and my first adult novel of Sarra Manning's. I've already read it, and it was amazing!

Red by Alison Cherry

Top student. Beauty queen. Girlfriend of the hottest football jock: Felicity's got everything. And it's all down to her red, red hair.

Felicity lives in Scarletville, the world's only redhead sanctuary, where red hair is celebrated, protected - and the key to sucess. But Felicity has a secret. A red hot secret. And if anyone finds out, she's finished. Because Felicity's actually a natural blonde.

And in Scarletville, blondes need not apply.

Another find on Netgalley, spurred by personal interest and friend's reviews. Can't wait to read it and see if I agree!

The Name On Your Wrist by Helen Hiorns
It's the first thing they teach you when you start school. But they don't need to; your parents tell you when you're first learning how to say your name. It's drummed into you whilst you're taking your first stumbling steps. It's your lullaby. From the moment it first appears, you don't tell anyone the name on your wrist.

In Corin's world, your carpinomen - the name of your soul mate, marked indelibly on your wrist from the age of two or three - is everything. It's your most preciously guarded secret; a piece of knowledge that can give another person ultimate power over you. People spend years, even decades, searching for the one they're supposed to be with.

But what if you never find that person? Or you do, but you just don't love them? What if you fall for someone else - someone other than the name on your wrist?

And what if - like Corin - the last thing in the world you want is to be found?

A fluke find on Netgalley - I've been wanting to read this for ages and even though it came out in June, it's still on Netgalley so I scooped that up! 

Pawn by Aimee Carter

For Kitty Doe, it seems like an easy choice. She can either spend her life as a III in misery, looked down upon by the higher ranks and forced to leave the people she loves, or she can become a VII and join the most powerful family in the country.

If she says yes, Kitty will be Masked - surgically transformed into Lila Hart, the Prime Minister's niece, who died under mysterious circumstances. As a member of the Hart family, she will be famous. She will be adored. And for the first time, she will matter.

There's only one catch. She must also stop the rebellion that Lila secretly fostered, the same one that got her killed, and one Kitty believes in. Faced with threats, conspiracies and a life that's not her own, she must decide which path to choose and learn how to become more than a pawn in a twisted game she's only beginning to understand.

Poor Kitty is stuck in a world where the number on the back of her neck means her entire future is planned, and she will be working away in the sewers because that, according to a test, is all that she is good for. But then she gets plucked from the gutter, well the brothel, and offered a chance to be part of the elite. Of course she says yes, but she couldn't read the fine print before being whisked away to become a whole new person. Part of the ruling family, where showing your love means trying to kill each other apparently, Kitty has to walk the walk and talk the talk to stay alive. The whole situation was out of control and insanely dangerous but I completely understand why Kitty did it, even if it meant erasing who she was.

As she learns what it takes to be the prime minister's niece, Kitty also learns more about the family, its secrets and its weaknesses. Because Lila was not the perfect girl that the media had led Kitty to believe, Lila was front-running a rebellion to bring down the current system of rankings and as Lila, it was Kitty's job to continue that work. Even though she was pressured and blackmailed into doing it, Kitty obviously felt for the cause; as a III, she knew exactly what it was like to be down-trodden by the upper classes and this came across in her speeches and attitude to the whole thing. Actually, considering she was risking her and her boyfriend's life, I think she was incredibly brave. 

Speaking of her boyfriend, I really liked Benjy. He was smart and protective, sometimes a bit annoying but they were clearly in love and everything they did was to protect the other, it was sweet. But things were somewhat complicated because Lila had a fiancée, therefore so did Kitty. Things with Knox were never as they seemed and I never quite felt like he was being completely honest - with good reason - but I did like him, he had their best intentions at heart really. But I really liked that after Kitty felt she could trust him, they had a really good relationship; they were co-conspirators in the fight against tyranny. 

Full of thrills, drama, secrets, I never had a clue what was going on, and I'm not sure if that was due to the writing or my own stupidity. I'm guessing the latter. But I loved it, I could barely put it down and it seemed every other page held a secret that I never saw coming and left me breathless. Highly recommended, especially if you love dystopian governments, Masked villans and secrets with the power to kill. 

Published 3rd January 2014 by MiraInk. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review. 

Imposter by Susanne Winnacker

Tessa is a Variant with extraordinary abilities. She could be a hero, but all she wants to do is fall in love ...

Tessa is a Variant, able to absorb the DNA of anyone she touches and mimic their appearance. Shunned by her family, she's spent the last two years with the Forces with Extraordinary Abilities, a secret branch of the FBI. There she trains with other Variants, such as long-term crush Alec, who each have their own extraordinary ability.

When a serial killer rocks a small town in Oregon, Tessa is given a mission: she must impersonate Madison, a local teen, to find the killer before he strikes again. Tessa hates everything about being an impostor - the stress, the danger, the deceit - but loves playing the role of a normal girl. As Madison, she finds friends, romance, and the kind of loving family she'd do anything to keep.

Amid action, suspense, and a ticking clock, this super-human comes to a very human conclusion: even a girl who can look like anyone struggles the most with being herself.

Tessa is part of a secret group of teens with supernatural abilities. She can change shape - think Mystique from X-Men - and her first mission is to go undercover as a serial killer's latest victim. She has to be trained up, quickly, before the victim dies so she can take her place. Yeah, it really is that strange!

There was a bit of a slow start, but maybe that's just because I wanted to get to the undercover part, but once in the swing of things, it was fast paced and action packed. Masquerading as a dead girl, Tessa is on her toes not to slip up in front of her family, her friends and most importantly, her killer. I could completely understand Tessa's hesitance to go undercover, not to mention her unwillingness to let that family go afterwards; she knows nothing of family, her mother abandoned her, and the FBI thinks she can handle pretending to be a dead girl? Her emotions are, for obvious reasons, all over the place and I loved how we saw her develop as she grew confident with her power and her determination to hunt a killer. But she is also incredibly vulnerable, especially as Madison, as she lost herself in the love of her family and the normalcy of life outside superpowers.

Now for the boys. Because what's a thriller meets romance without the boys? First up with Alec, another recruit at the FBI with super strength. Alec was nice enough, he obviously cared for Tessa but he had a girlfriend; I don't care how confused you are, if you like someone, don't date someone else! He was also over-protective to the point of annoying. Then there was Madison's boys, Ryan her ex who was typical passive-aggressive jock, and Devon, her twin brother, another over-protective lad with secrets and double standards. The whole 'my sister nearly died' thing was reason enough for him to be acting strange, but with the killer still on the loose, I was second guessing everything he said!

As for the killer, well you'll just have to read it to find out! It wasn't obvious, and I kept changing my mind who I thought it was, but even then it surprised me. That's what made this a great mystery: the second guessing, the secrets and the action kept the story very much alive throughout. 

Published 2nd January 2014 by Hodder Children's Books. Thank you to the publisher for my copy in exchange for an honest review. 

Aside: this is my 200th post! And right before my two-year blogoversary as well!