Speculative Fiction Challange 2011

Having looked round the blogosphere, I've decided to do three 'official' challenges this year and one unofficial challenge - taking Krispy Kreme up on his challenge - but more about that next week when I figure out the details.

Today I'm announcing my participation in Floor to Ceiling Books' Speculative Fiction Challenge next year. Most of the books I read have some speculative element in it so hopefully this will be a fairly 'easy' challenge - but I hoping to add a few Science-Fictions books to this challenge as well. Most of my reading for the last few months has been on Urban Fantasy & Fantasy arena so hopefully this will help me stretch a little! :)

Details for  this challenge are below - if you fancy joining in as well head over and visit Amanda at Floor to Ceiling Books for the sign up.

Sign Up

• To sign up you must make a post on your blog about participating in the Challenge - you then use the URL of the sign up post to add to Mr Linky on FTC Books. 

• You must  add the button to your sidebar - make sure that it links back to this post so others can join the challenge if they wish.

Other Details

• Timeline: 01 Jan 2011 - 31 Dec 2011

• Rules: To read 12 Speculative Fiction novels in 2011 (12 is the minimum - you can read more if you wish!)

• You don't have to choose your books ahead of time, you can add them as you go. If you do list them upfront, you can change them. Books for this challenge can be used to fulfil other challenges.

• You can join anytime between now and the later part of next week - but the sooner you start, the sooner your chances for prizes!

• At the beginning of Jan 2011 (and the beginning of all subsequent months in 2011), you will find a link to add your reviews. Amanda will be putting up a monthly prize which will be formed from duplicate books/ARCs that received as a reviewer. You must be signed up to the challenge and add the link to your review to be entered into the monthly prize draw

On My Wishlist #16

This is a meme from Book Chick City. There are so many books out there that I want to read that this is the only way I can keep track! This week the theme is Vampires - I can't believe I haven't used this theme previously!

Twice Bitten (Chicagoland Vampires 3) - Chloe Neill

Publisher: UK - Gollancz

Merit, Chicago's newest vampire, is learning how to play nicely with others. Other supernaturals, that is. Shapeshifters from across the country are convening in the Windy City, and as a gesture of peace, Master Vampire Ethan Sullivan has offered their leader a very special bodyguard: Merit. Merit is supposed to protect the Alpha, Gabriel Keene - and to spy for the vamps while she's at it. Oh, and luckily Ethan's offering some steamy, one-on-one combat training sessions to help her prepare for the mission. Merit has to accept the assignment, even though she knows that she'll probably regret it. And she's not wrong. Someone is gunning for Gabriel Keene, and Merit soon finds herself in the line of fire. She'll need all the help she can get to track down the would-be assassin, but everywhere she turns, there are rising tensions between supernaturals - not least between her and a certain green-eyed, centuries old master vampire.

I've been enjoying the Chicagoland series and looking forward to getting my hands on the next one!

Blood Law - Jeannie Holmes

Publisher: UK - Dell Publishing

A provocative and savvy vampire, Alexandra Sabian moves to the sleepy hamlet of Jefferson, Mississippi—population 6,000, half vampires—to escape the demons lurking in her past. As an enforcer for the Federal Bureau of Preternatural Investigations (FBPI), Alex must maintain the uneasy peace between her kind and humans, including Jefferson’s bigoted sheriff, who’d be happy to see all vampires banished from town. Then really dead vamps start turning up—beheaded, crucified, and defanged, the same gruesome manner in which Alex’s father was murdered decades ago. For Alex, the professional has become way too personal.
Things get even more complicated when the FBPI sends in some unnervingly sexy backup: Alex’s onetime mentor, lover, and fiancé, Varik Baudelaire. Still stinging from the betrayal that ended their short-lived engagement, Alex is determined not to give in to the temptation that soon threatens to short-circuit her investigation. But as the vamp body count grows and the public panic level rises, Varik may be Alex’s only hope to stop a relentless killer who’s got his own score to settle and his own bloody past to put right.

This just sounds like such a cool book -I've seen it around the blogosphere and really want to get my hands on it!

Bloodlite II: Overbite - Anthology 

Publisher: Gallery Press

From the Horror Writers Association comes a brand-new collection of darkly humorous tales!
The Big Questions of Life (and Death)
Can a killer's basement blood-feast be a tax write-off (under Entertainment)? Not if Vlad the IRS agent nails him first in Heather Graham's "Death and Taxes."
What does a pack of hungry she-wolves do to solve their man troubles? Ladies Night Out takes a wicked turn in "Dog Tired (of the Drama!)" by L. A. Banks.
How far will an elite call girl go to beat a murder rap? Stuck with a dead client in a luxury L.A. hotel room, she might strike a costly bargain with a woman of unearthly powers in Allison Brennan's "Her Lucky Day."
Who actually writes those tabloid stories about Bigfoot? Meet a journalist of the unexplained (she's 50 percent demon) and her boyfriend (he's 100 percent thief), as they heat up a museum exhibition that's also a soul-snatching battleground in "Lucifer's Daughter" by Kelley Armstrong.

I enjoy anthologies occasionally as a chance to trial some new authors as well as catching up with my favourites in between new book releases.

So what do you want this week? :)

*SHAMLESS PLUG - My snowday giveaway finishes tonight. A chance to win one of four books - check it out here*

Book Blogger Hop #10

The Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Jennifer at Crazy for Books  and is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and share our love of the written word! I love taking part in the hop as I get to know more about other bloggers out there and to find a few new ones!

 

**And don't forget to check out my Snowday giveaway - launched yesterday and finishes on Saturday - chance to win one of four books - open internationally! Please go here.**

 

This week's question is -

 

 "What very popular and hyped book in the blogosphere did you NOT enjoy and how did you feel about posting your review?"

 

Probably Fallen by Lauren Kate. I purchased the book based on a number of positive reviews I'd read around the blogosphere and was really looking forward to reading. Instead I was so diappointed. The story seemed very slow and unoriginal with a giant battle tacked on the end - most of which happens off-screen. It wasn't that I hated the story or the way it was written, just that I had high expectations. It's not a bad book, but I just didn't see what all the fuss was about!

 

I didn't feel bad about posting the review - it's my own opinion and perhaps if I hadn't experienced all the hype I would have enjoyed it more. It wasn't a harsh review - as I said I didn't hate the book, but was disappointed with it. And if you fancy reading the review to see if you agree you can read it here. 

Mystery & Suspense Challenge 2011

I've been making my way through the variety of reading challenges out there in preparation for my New Years Resolution and I've started to narrow it down. I want some challenges that will stretch me as well as be fun - it wouldn't be a challenge if I knew I'd read it anyway! So the first challenge I've decided to participate in is Book Chick City's Mystery & Suspense  Challenge. I like mystery & suspense but probably don't read as many as I would like - this should be fun. Plus Carolyn has cleverly wrangled a free book for participates! :) Have a look at the instructions below and head over to Book Chick City if you fancy joining in as well!

Sign Up

• To sign up you MUST make a post on your blog about participating in the challenge - you then use the URL of the post to sign up to the challenge by adding it to Mr Linky below. DO NOT just add your blog URL - this will be deleted. Also please be aware that unless you show you are joining the challenge with a participation post your ARC will not be sent.

• You must add the button to your sidebar - make sure that it links back to this post so others can join the challenge if they wish. Easiest way to do this is to copy and paste the code displayed above!

To Claim ARC

• Courtesy of publisher SIMON & SCHUSTER UK, all participants of this challenge will receive a free ARC of The Survivor by Sean Slater to start you off on your challenge! Once you have made your participation post and signed up for the challenge, email me with your full name, address, post URL and your entry number from the participants list below (so I can verify) and I will pass on your details. This is INTERNATIONAL!

Other Details

• Timeline: 01 Jan 2011 - 31 Dec 2011

• Rules: To read TWELVE (12) mystery & suspense novels in 2011 (12 is the minimum but you can read more if you wish!)

• You don't have to select your books ahead of time, you can just add them as you go. Also if you do list them upfront you can change them, nothing is set in stone! The books you choose can crossover into other challenges you have on the go.

• You can join anytime between now and the later part of next year.

• At the beginning of Jan 2011, you will find a link to specific month to add your reviews. There will be a monthly prize too courtesy of the lovely Simon & Schuster - you must be signed up to the challenge and add the link to your review to be entered into the monthly prize draw.

Now, there are many different sub-genres of mystery and suspense - you can choose from the numerous sub-genres, from cosy mysteries such as Agatha Christie to the more hard-boiled kind like V I Warshawski by Sara Paretsky, or romantic suspense written by the likes of Linda Howard, forensic crime such as those written by Kathy Reichs and even paranormal/supernatural suspense such as Kelley Armstrong.

Can't wait to get started! :)

Snowday Giveaway!

Welcome to a snowy UK! We’ve had snow since Tuesday and for some reason the whole country grinds to a halt with people trapped on trains overnight, schools closed and constant worries about how much the snow is costing business. Usually when it gets like this I’d be working from home (joys of office laptops and broadband) but I had this week off. I had planned to do all my Christmas shopping,  but instead I’ve been curled up on my new sofa reading my way through some of my TBR pile – so expect plenty of reviews when I get round to writing them! While I’ve been quite enjoying the enforced laziness (seriously you should see the stairs up to my flat – it looks like a slope!), I know many people have struggled with getting to work or getting kids to school. So what’s the best/worst thing about snow days for you? Maybe you’ve never had one, or if it snows where you are does life continues as normal?

As this is my third snow day of book bliss, I thought I’d spread the love and offer my first ever giveaway! The prize is a choice of one of the books I’ve enjoyed reading the most during my snow days. You can pick one of the following books:

Hell Fire (Corine Solomon 2) – Ann Aguirre

As a handler, Corine Solomon can touch any object and know its history. Its too bad she cant seem to forget her own. With her ex-boyfriend Chance in tow - lending his particularly supernatural brand of luck - Corine journeys back home to Kilmer, Georgia, in order to discover the truth behind her mothers death and the origins of her gift. But while trying to uncover the secrets in her past, Corine and Chance find that something is rotten in the state of Georgia. Just a few miles away, no one seems to know Kilmer exists. And inside the town borders there are signs of a dark curse affecting the town and all its residents - and it can only be satisfied with death ...

Vampire Academy – Richelle Mead

St Vladimir's Academy isn't just any boarding school - hidden away, it's a place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They've been on the run, but now they're being dragged back to St Vladimir's where the girls must survive a world of forbidden romances, a ruthless social scene and terrifying night time rituals. But most of all, staying alive.

Grave Secret (Harper Connolly 4) – Charlaine Harris

When she was 15, Harper Connelly was struck by a bolt of lightning, which left her with a spiderweb of red over her body, headaches, and episodes of weakness. Sometimes her right hand shakes. And she can find dead people. It's taken a while, but at last Harper's pretty happy with her life: she's making a living, using her unique talent to help people, and she's got a lover - her stepbrother Tolliver. That creeps some people out, but though they grew up together, and got each other through the real bad times - their parents' drug-use, the abuse, the disappearance of Harper's elder sister Cameron - they're not blood relatives. Then Tolliver's dad arrives on the scene, seeking forgiveness for the sins of their youth, and the police get a tip-off that after all these years, Cameron's been spotted in a mall. With all this going on Harper realises life is getting a little complicated, but she doesn't expect those complications to include Tolliver getting shot, or watching a cop die taking a bullet for her. Harper can find dead people, but now it's clear someone wants her dead . . .

The Gift – Cecelia Ahren

Lou Suffern is practised in the art of concealment. He is, also, always overstretched, trying to do too many things at once. His overburdened schedule gives him few moments of peace, even in his sleep. And when he spends time at home with his wife and family, he is always distracted, and, mentally, somewhere else. On a cold winter morning, Lou is on his way to work when he encounters Gabe, a homeless street dweller, sitting outside an office building. Lou is intrigued by him, and contrives to get him a job in the post room. But this act of charity rebounds on him, and Gabe’s presence begins to grate on Lou -- particularly when he discovers that the latter seems capable of being in two places at the same time. Christmas is drawing near, and before the season is over, Lou’s life will be irrevocably change by the casual act of kindness he has performed.

Reviews for all these books should go up soon as I can stop reading and start writing. But short review is that I really enjoyed them all and think you would as well!

Rules (cos otherwise they’ll be chaos!):

-          Must be a follower (and I will check!)

-          Leave a comment on this post on what you like or hate about snow days.

-          Don’t forget to leave a way for me to contact you

-          Competition is International – as long as The Book Depository ships to you. Not sure check here.

-          Giveway ends Saturday 4^th December 2010 and the winner will be picked at random to be announced on Sunday 5^th December 2010.

And wrap up warm if you’re going out! J



Vampre Academy Review

Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy 1)

 – Richelle Mead

Kindle Book

St Vladimir's Academy isn't just any boarding school - hidden away, it's a place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They've been on the run, but now they're being dragged back to St Vladimir's where the girls must survive a world of forbidden romances, a ruthless social scene and terrifying night time rituals. But most of all, staying alive.

I have to say that I absolutely loved this book! There is romance, school politics, friendships in peril as well as life-threatening situations – everything you would want in a YA book.

The book starts with Rose and Lissa being found and taken back to St Vladimirs – a vampire academy that they ran away from two years previously. The reasons for their escape are drip-fed throughout the story so you don’t know what they were escaping at first. This gradual reveal added mystery to the story for me; however, the characters are the real joy for me. I really felt the history and depth of feeling between Rose and Lissa – despite the squabbles that all teenaged best friends have. The other supporting characters are also great – Dimitri and Christian especially were well developed and given distinctive personalities – they were more than just good-looking boys for the girls to fancy.

This is definitely a YA book with all the school politics that teenagers have and distractions – and for once I didn’t find it annoying. I really felt for Rose and wanted to know how she would escape each situation. I loved the fact that she wasn’t undefeatable – she suffered and lost sometimes but worked hard for her wins.

The vampire world Richelle Mead created is fascinated – two different kinds of vampires Moroi, who can go out in weak sun, wield elemental magic and don’t kill and Strigori who kill when they feed and have lost their elemental magic. I enjoyed this different take on the vampire myth and am looking forward to learning more in future books.

There are a couple of things that I didn’t enjoy – the ‘bad’ guy of the book was obvious to me and not a surprise at all, but this didn’t detract from the story at all and I wanted to know more about his motivations – hopefully this will be explored later as well.

This was a great start to a series – and I hope that the remaining books will develop the world and relationships further.

Recommended for fans of Kelley Armstrong and Ilona Andrews. 8 out of 10.

Kirsty at The Overflowing Library is having a Vampire Academy Fortnight in celebration of the release of the final book in the series, Last Sacrifice – go check it out! J

Early New Years Resolution!

Ok, ok, so it's officially a little early for a proper News Resolution, but I need some help. My New Years resolution will be to take on a few reading challenges, but which ones? A number of bloggers have already started posting their sign up sheets for next year but I'm not sure which ones I want to take part in. They all sound good but I don't want to take too many on. How many do people usually take on a year? Which ones would be good?

If you have any recommendations or are hosting a challenge please let me know! Or if you have any advice on talking part drop me a comment below!

Thanks! :)