Best of 2012

Well here in Australia it is the first day of 2013 and it has begun slowly with a little bit of housework and a little bit of reading. This blog hasn't been up long but for those who have checked it out so far..

Best book of 2012

I had a fantastic year for reading and although I fell short of my target (186/200) I had a great time challenging myself. It was so hard to pick my favourite book of 2012 and I did try to keep it limited to books that were released in 2012. In the end it came down to Once Burned by Jeaniene Frost, Opal by Jennifer L Armentrout and Lover Reborn by J. R. Ward and the winner was......

Best song of 2012

Not a day goes by where I don't listen to music. Behind books, music is probably the next thing that I can't do without. 2012 was full of some great music but there was one song that I always came back to and the was Keep Your Eyes Open by Needtobreathe.

Beastly: Lindy's Diary by Alex Finn

 

4 out of 5 Stars!

You shouldn't miss people who don't miss you, right.

I enjoyed Beastly and have only just realised that the book was made into a series earlier this year. Lindy's Diary is a short novella, a diary that Lindy kept before and after she was taken to the home of the beast. If you haven't yet read Beastly then I strongly recommend reading that first. Although it has been ages since I read Beastly I was able to remember everything quite quickly and wasn't lost at all while reading this. It was amazing how quickly I was drawn back into the world that Alex Finn created and once again I enjoyed every minute of it. I think I actually enjoyed reading everything that happened from Lindy's point of view rather than Kyle's. An enjoyable read and I can't wait to move on to Bewitching.

Linda or Lindy as she likes to be called attends Tuttle Prep, a school for rich kids. Lindy isn't rich though in fact the only reason she goes there is because she is on a scholarship. Even she can't help but crush on school hottie Kyle though. One day she finally get's a chance to talk to him but is interrupted when his girlfriend Sloane shows up taking him away from Lindy. It is months later and besides the occasional greeting in the hallway Lindy hasn't been able to speak to Kyle alone again. Lindy sees him again though at the big school dance and he randomly gives Lindy a white rose that was meant for his girlfriend Sloane but she hated it. A week later Kyle disappears....... 

A year later and there is still no sight of Kyle there has been plenty of rumours but it is hard to know what to really believe. Her home life isn't getting any better and one night her dad comes home in a bad way screaming about drugs, dealers, cops and a monster, a beast. Her dad is in debt badly and if he doesn't come up with the money then the people are coming to kill Lindy. Her dad has a solution though Lindy is to go stay with someone who can protect her, a beast, a boy that is covered in hair like a wolf. There are no other options for Lindy she has to go. When she arrives at the house though she discovers that her father has lied to her, he has traded her to this beast in return for drugs and a tape of her dad breaking and entering. She is now imprisoned in the house with the beast and his tutor a blind man named Will. At first Lindy hides away in her room but after time she comes out and meets the beast face to face.

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Find You In The Dark by A. Meredith Walters

Hot damn. Cue the violins and happy cartoon bunnies. I was in the middle of a Disney moment. Because this guy was gorgeous. And we were standing so close to each other. If he hadn't been holding onto a barely contained rage directed at yours truly, it could have almost been construed as romantic. 

Before we get too much into this review it should be mentioned that I only read just over %50 of this book. Normally with books I can't finish I 1 star them but I couldn't do that with this book because the book was amazing and done really well. I just couldn't handle reading it, it was too much for me. I can't tell you how many times over the last two days I had to put this book down and take a quick walk. Because of this I will leave the book unrated but if you can handle tough issues in deep detail and an intense, dark story then you should definitely read this book. Mental illness is always hard to read about especially if you have had it around you your whole life. I think that A. Meredith Walters has done a fantastic job with the book and the writing and the way that she presented mental illness. If anything she did too much of a good job and it really hit hard and close to home.

Maggie leads a very normal, very boring life, she stays out of trouble, get's good grades and in her own words pretty much bores herself to death. She has fantastic parents who are nothing but loving and supportive and 2 best friends who just like her are very normal and boring. All that changes though when she runs head on into the new guy at school, Clay. Clay goes around the school ignoring everyone and only ever providing snide remarks to Maggie. Then Clay and Maggie start to hang out a little and Maggie can't stay away from him, even blowing off after school activities and her parents just to be with him. 

Clay is very up and down in his moods though, he can go from wanting nothing more than to be with Maggie to completely shut off and ignoring her in a matter of seconds. Then Maggie learns more about his past and learns of his mental illness, she wants to be there for him and believes that she can help him, she has to, she loves him. Clay has a series of violent outbursts and erratic episodes and the people around Maggie are worrying about her but Maggie's life is now Clay and nothing else.

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Twisted by Sara Shepard

4 out of 5 Stars!

“The best secrets are the most twisted” 

Yes I am fully aware that only a week ago I said that I would be trying really hard not to get this book. I also mentioned though that I would probably cave and buy it anyways and I did. To be fair though I did go into it not expecting much, silly, silly me. I have like split personalities at the moment there is the part of me who is pissed and yelling that the series was over, it was done! Then there is the other part of me that is rocking in a corner like an addict saying just a little more, I will stop soon but I need just a little more. It was so easy to get sucked back into the lives of the 4 pretty little liar's and before I knew it I was half way through the book, it was just as good as the previous 8. I love the new story lines and characters and because the girls are getting older now their escapades are getting naughtier.

It is one year after the whole Alison debacle was finally put to rest but our four pretty little liars still haven't learnt their lesson and they are still up to no good. The girls had become best friends again but that was short lived after a trip to Jamaica that changed everything. Now the girls are back in Rosewood and none of them are talking to each other and none of them are talking about what went down in Jamaica. 

Spencer's mum has moved on to a new man and Spencer can't stand the guy or his stuck up daughter but the son, well the son is a different story definitely not snobby and he is hot, very, very hot. Spencer just can't help but wonder what it would be like to date him or just make out with him. Aria is still datingNoel and they are getting on ok but the whole sex issue has arrived and so has an exchange student, a hot blonde, big breasted exchange student that is staying with Noel and his family. Emily is desperate to get into a college and needs a swimming scholarship to do it but just how far is she willing to go to get that scholarship. Hanna's dad is running for Senate but can Hanna fit into his fictitious perfect little life after everything from the past few years, after all we can't have her past or her future ruining her dad's campaign.

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Measuring Up by Nyrae Dawn

3 out of 5 Stars!

 Oh, what a shock. A boy who doesn't like to accept help. Colour me surprised.

A very cute and sweet novel. I do love me some Nyrae Dawn and I have had this book sitting on my kindle for quite a while now. The characters from the start were very lovable and they gelled so well together. They both had me smiling in no time. I do have to admit though that about half way through they did start to annoy me a little, I think the story and characters became just a little too cutesy and nothing was really happening. I don't know it's hard to explain but it wasn't really what I was expecting but then again my expectations for anything by Nyrae Dawn are set to a pretty freaking high standard. The ending was nice though and was everything that you hoped for, cute but nice. The best part of this book though was that it got me out jogging again.

Annabel wants to, no needs to lose weight and she needs to do it without the princesses from her school or her mum knowing about it. She makes an appointment with a personal trainer at a dodgy gym on the wrong side of town. It takes her a few attempts and an encounter with a rude, arrogant guy but finally she makes it into the gym. Once inside the gym she finds out that not only is her personal trainer going to be a male because the female trainer quit but that her personal trainer is also going to be Mr Rude and Arrogant from outside. The more Annabel get's to know Tegan though the more she realises that he hides a huge part of himself. In no time at all Tegan and Annabel have formed a bond and are spending extra time together away from the gym.

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MERRY CHRISTMAS

Well here in Australia it is bright and early on Christmas morning. Santa was too kind to me and my husband and actually gave us our christmas present a little earlier this year. The last couple of days we have been playing Mario on the new Nintendo WiiU. We have a very full on day planned with travelling to all our families to share in all the chocolate eating, laughter and wonderful christmas times. I hope that everyone has an amazing, merry christmas!

Undone by Cat Clarke

3. 5 out of 5 Stars!

Her knowing smile makes me want to ram a straw up her nose.

What is there really to say about a Cat Clarke book. Cat Clarke always deals with sensitive issues, often pushes the boundaries and is the master of creating character's that you don't always like. She is one of those authors where I must have her new book as soon as it is released. The reason for this is simple, I am always excited to see where she will take the book, you rarely know what to expect. Jem is whiny from the start and although she is clearly dealing with a lot of things at the moment there are still many times where you just want to punch her a little. Ok maybe a lot. I liked the whole envelope idea and was intrigued by what Kai could have put in each one. I figured out quite early on what had happened with Kai that night so the big reveal didn't really mean much to me. A great book though and I will be waiting very impatiently for the next Cat Clarke book.

Jem has always been in love with her gay best friend Kai. After a party at one of the "Team Popular" houses a video of Kai and another guy leaks online and Kai starts getting hate mail, lot's of it. Kai can't handle it and ends out killing himself and because Jem never had any other friends she is now completely alone. Not being able to cope with his death, Jem swipes her mum's tablets and plans on killing herself one month after his death. She gets distracted on the day though when Kai's sister Louise brings over an envelope saying that Kai left if for Jem and that it was to be given to her one month after his death. Inside are twelve envelopes from Kai one to be opened every month. 

The first letter stops Jem from killing herself, makes her dye her hair back a normal colour and get's her back alive a bit more, to the point where she is going back to school. When she get's back to school she makes a plan, she is going to get back at the people who did this to Kai and once that has happened, then she can kill herself and be with Kai. It isn't long before Jem lands herself in amongst "Team Popular" where she has become best friends with the schools most popular girl and she is dating the schools most popular boy. Life has become very different for Jem but she isn't about to forget why she is there, to take them all down and make them pay for what they did.

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You Against Me by Jenny Downham

3.5 out of 5 Stars!

“Was this love? Because it hurt. It was like a bit of glass stuck somewhere important - his heart or his head, and it was throbbing.” 

So I am guessing that most of us have massive To Be Read piles/lists that we are trying to work our way through especially with it being the end of the year. Well this book wasn't actually on my list but while picking up a couple of other books from the library this one called out to me. I stood there in the library and read what it was about and I was still 50/50 about if I should get it out. Well obviously I did end up getting it out and I have to say I enjoyed the book from the start. I liked how the story changed from Mikey to Ellie and the way that it all matched up and came together. The two main characters were quite likeable which always helps and you did find yourself wanting to read more about them. I did find that the book maybe went for a little bit too long and was a little predictable but overall it was an enjoyable book.

Mikey's family is very poor and just getting through the day is a struggle for them. When his sister Karyn is sexually assaulted by a rich kid named Tom, Mikey knows he needs to do something about it. He knows that this rich kid is going to get let off and that it will be Karyn that pays for what happened to her. Mikey has a plan though he is going to protect his sister and go and beat the living crap out of Tom but when he get's to Tom's house he isn't there. His sister Ellie answers the door instead and doesn't recognise Mikey she thinks he must be one of Tom's friends. Tom's family are planning a party for Tom because his bail hearing was successful and he will be getting released later on that day, it's obvious to everyone that Tom will not have to pay for what he did.

Ellie's family is rich and they have many issues of their own. When Ellie's brother Tom is accused of sexually assaulting a poor girl she is devastated and convinced that her brother didn't do it. He has been let out on bail after two weeks in jail and Ellie is so happy that he is coming home. She is also very nervous about the upcoming trial especially because she was in the house that night when the rape happened and therefore will have to take to the witness stand.

Ellie and Mikey hit it off at the party and a week later Ellie messages Mikey so that they can hang out. Mikey runs it past his mate Jacko and it is decided that Mikey will hang out with her so that they can get info from her on Tom. Mikey has a lot of fun when he is hanging out with Ellie, but with problems at home and his phone constantly going off it becomes harder and harder to keep his identity a secret.

This book had you gripping the edge of your seat especially when Mikey and Ellie started hanging out and you could tell that they both really liked each other. The problem being that you just knew what was going to be coming and knew that it would shatter you when it happened.

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Wanted by Sara Shepard

3.5 out of 5 Stars!

 "We ditch the bitches", she said. "And then we take them down".

When I started reading this I didn't know that it was originally supposed to be the last book in the series. That does explain though why all our questions were finally answered and why each character got their own little summary at the end of the book. This is Sara Shepard though people of course there was going to be more books and even though I would like to think that I can end it here and be happy with how things ended, I know that I won't be able to resist and that I will no doubt get the next book. I don't know what it is about Sara Shepard and her books but they suck you in and you can try telling yourself that you won't be reading the next one but you will. I did enjoy this book but not as much as some of the previous books in the series. The twist at the start of the story had me a little disappointed but the book really hit it's stride about half way through and from then on it was amazing.

Ali's killer is finally behind bars after being caught killing Jenna and having an enormous amount of evidence in his car and home. The girls should now feel safe with the killer behind bars they should have nothing to worry about especially now that the creepy messages from A have stopped. There is a new twist in the story though, one that will shock all of them and the rest of the community. Spencer is still dealing with the fact that A set her up and destroyed her parents relationship while also making her think that her mum had killed Ali. Hannah is back from the mental institution and is back trying to be the glamorous girl she knows she is but she has been thrown out of the cool group and has once again become the school's loser. Aria is still with Noel but has a lot on her mind and she isn't 100% sure that the real killer has been caught, some things just aren't adding up for her and Emily well my friends there is a big surprise in store for Emily.

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Between by Jessica Warman

3.5 out of 5 Stars!

 "You aren't the sharpest sheep in the barn, are you?"

This is the first book I have read by Jessica Warman so I had no idea what to expect but after reading this I will definitely be picking up more of her books. I don't read too many ghost books because they can often get a bit irritating but I felt it would be a nice change and this was definitely one of the better ghost stories out there. This was one of those books that made you feel warm inside and made the rest of the world disappear for a little while. I liked both Elizabeth and Alex from the start. They were interesting character's and although each had their faults they were rather entertaining and had a realness to them. The story was slightly predictable at times but for the most part it did have me guessing right up until just before the first of the big reveals. I enjoyed Jessica's writing and was left feeling nice afterwards. At the end of it I just wanted to hug my husband and pets.

Elizabeth died on her family's yacht on her 18th birthday party with her friends all sleeping inside. While she sit's on the dock trying to piece together what happened a boy appears beside her and he can see, hear and touch Elizabeth. The boy is Alex and he went to school with Elizabeth when he was alive, he was also poor and a loner at school. Of all the people who Elizabeth has to be stuck in this in between with, Alex is one of the worst choices. Alex was a loner at school and Elizabeth was the queen of popularity, they couldn't be more different. Elizabeth is learning things though through Alex's memories, her own memories and by watching her friends and family. Elizabeth and Alex think they need to work together to find out what happened to them before they will be able to move on but trusting each other and showing each other their memories is a battle especially when they both lived such different lives.

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Charade by Nyrae Dawn

4.5 out of 5 Stars!

 “It's easier to hide in the dark...but easier to let go too.”

 Whoah what a weekend. I spent most of the weekend half out of it sick but came good for a few hours last night. I figured as I was feeling a little better I would read a little bit more of Charade before going to bed. A couple of hours later and I had finished the book and was a mess of emotions. I have read a few books now by Nyrae Dawn and have really enjoyed all of them. Charade would have to be my favourite though. I have to admit after the first two chapters in this book I was a little worried but things picked up and before I knew it I was half way through the book. The characters were extremely annoying at first but by half way your in love with them both.

There is no denying that both Cheyenne and Colt have some serious issues to deal with. Their paths cross after a little confrontation between Cheyenne's cheating ex and Colt. Cheyenne then goes to Colt and offers him a deal, she will pay him to pretend to be her boyfriend and they will both be getting back at Gregory. At first Colt thinks the idea is ridiculous but he has a dying mum to think about and later on at a party he agrees to the arrangement. It isn't long though before Colt is using Cheyenne as much as she is using him and the lines of the game are starting to get blurry.

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The Secret of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorensen

4 out of 5 Stars

“Just because it's broken doesn't mean it loses its importance.” 

And so the love for Jessica Sorensen continues. This book just seems to be popping up everywhere at the moment and with my recent Jessica Sorensen obsession I figured why not give it a go especially with the second book due to be released soon. This book had me from the start. I found both of the main character's interesting and while both similar they both still had distinct voices in the book. Micha is that typical bad boy that we all love and want, sexy as all hell, doesn't take orders well and an attitude like no other. Ella was an interesting character but from the start I didn't like her goody goody act and was just dying for the reckless Ella to come out. This book was fantastic and I am eagerly waiting for the next book in the series.

One night changed everything for Ella. It was the night where Ella almost lost her life. Ella was saved by Micha though, the boy who loved her and in return Ella disappeared not telling anyone where she was going. Turns out Ella has been in Vegas studying at college and now after 8 months it is holiday break time and she is heading home. Home to her dead mum, her drunken father and the bad boy next door. Ella likes to think that she has changed but Micha see's right through it and now that Ella is back in town he is doing everything he can to keep her around and bring the old Ella back. Ella fights him at every turn though and is determined to show Micha that she is not the same girl that he once knew. 

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Movie Review - Death Note

5 out of 5 Stars

A movie that will have you entertained and intrigued right to the end

So, I have decided to include some movie reviews on my little blog. Firstly, because I can and secondly because sometimes there are movies that simply amaze you and need to be shared with the world. A week ago I watched a little movie called Death Note not the anime series but the actual movie. I have been meaning to watch the anime series for a long time and while flicking through channels on the tv a while back I saw the Death Note movie come up. It was part of the way in and so I only watched a few minutes of it. Those few minutes told me I needed to watch more. I ended out getting the movies and have already watched the first one, IT AMAZED ME!! I understand that not all people like watching foreign films and let's be honest Japanese films are often shall we say different but this is one that you have to check out. This movie had it all and a week later I still can't get it off my mind. The characters were all amazing and I still can't decide who I like more Light or L. The movie had a lot of surprises throughout and that ending with the showdown wowzers!! Can not wait to watch the second movie this weekend.

Light Yagami is studying to become a detective just like his father so that he can help make the world right and lock up all the criminals. Light has noticed though
that a lot of the criminals find a way around punishment and continue to walk the streets. Then fate steps in and Light comes across the Death Note a book where you can well make death happen. Whenever Light writes a person's name in the Death Note that person then dies. Light begins writing in all the names of criminals that have escaped justice or who are currently committing crimes and one by one they all die. Obviously this many people dying around the world does not go unnoticed and soon the police force plus the FBI are trying to work out how all these people are dying and who is killing them. Enter L, L is a mastermind and he believes that he can lure Light out and find out once and for all who is killing all these people. While L is trying to figure out the murders, Light is experimenting more and more with the Death Note and by the end of the movie even Light has found ways around the Death Note's rules.

Coming May 2013 - Cinder by Jessica Sorensen

Cinder is going to be the second book in the "Death Collectors" series. Ember the first book in the series was the first book that I read by Jessica Sorensen and I loved it so I am very interested to see where she is going to take this series next. Most importantly though will you check out this cover, it is so incredibly beautiful. I have to admit this is about the seventh time I have looked at this cover today, I can't get enough of it.

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Reached by Ally Condie

1 out of 5 Stars

A very big and very bitter DNF

I can not begin to explain just how disappointed I was in this book. I read Matched and I fell in love, I read Crossed and I could feel my love for this series slipping away, I tried to read Reached and now my heart is broken. There was nothing and I mean nothing entertaining about this book. I kept waiting for it to pick up and get interesting but it never did. Reached is told from 3 different points of view, Cassia, Ky and Xander and if it wasn't for their different roles in the rising and the heading telling you every time the point of view changed you would think you were reading about one character only. I have this rule where I have to read at least 50% of a book before I DNF it (you know just in case something actually starts happening) and getting to 50% of this book was a struggle and a half.

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