Review: Secrets & Sapphires - Leila Rasheed

Title: Secrets & Sapphires (Cinders & Sapphires in US)
Author: Leila Rasheed
Series: At Somerton #1
Format: Paperback
Pages: 294
Genre: Historical, YA
Published (UK): 1st January 2013 (Hot Key Books)

One house, two worlds...

Rose Cliffe has never met a young lady like her new mistress. Clever, rich, and beautiful, Ada Averley treats Rose as an equal. And Rose could use a friend. Especially now that she, at barely sixteen, has risen to the position of ladies’ maid. Rose knows she should be grateful to have a place at a house like Somerton. Still, she can’t help but wonder what her life might have been had she been born a lady, like Ada.

For the first time in a decade, the Averleys have returned to Somerton, their majestic ancestral estate. But terrible scandal has followed Ada’s beloved father all the way from India. Now Ada finds herself torn between her own happiness and her family’s honor. Only she has the power to restore the Averley name—but it would mean giving up her one true love . . . someone she could never persuade her father to accept.

Sumptuous and enticing, the first novel in the At Somerton series introduces two worlds, utterly different yet entangled, where ruthless ambition, forbidden attraction, and unspoken dreams are hidden behind dutiful smiles and glittering jewels. All those secrets are waiting . . . at Somerton.

Secrets & Sapphires fits right into the niche of the likes of Downton Abbey and Upstairs Downstairs. The book follows a multitude of characters all related in some way or another to Somerton Court and the Averley family. The characters are wide-ranging and well written and although the books is told from various points of view, it doesn't take too long to adjust to each one as each has a distinctive voice.

At times it could be a little predictable and cheesy; The book is full of petty scandals, but isn't that the best part of this genre - that the drama isn't always that dramatic? I couldn't quite work out if this was done on purpose though. However, the story also covers more serious issues like women's rights, social class and homosexuality. I was a bit disappointed though that while the author seemed to have really good knowledge of the history of the era (the bits there was were really well done) there wasn't nearly enough included for my liking.

I enjoyed reading this book and will most likely read the second of the series ... it just wasn't amazing.

Friday Follow and Hop - 28 June 2013

The Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Billy at Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer. It's a chance for book bloggers to connect and share the book love. Click the button for more details and to find the links to some awesome blogs.

This week's question is:
So would you read a book just because of the hype?

I'm actually more likely to not read a book because of the hype lol. For me, most hyped books don't live up to it. There's a few exceptions of course - Harry Potter, The Hunger Games for example, but I'm always very cautious of a book that get too much hype. It might turn out to be a Twilight.

Gain new followers and make new friends with the Book Blogger Feature & Follow! The Feature & Follow is hosted by two hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read so be sure to drop by both as they have different feature blogs.

This week's question is:
What is your preferred reading format? Hardcover, eBooks, paperback etc?

If I'm buying a book I now mostly go for ebooks. It's just so much easier. I can carry numerous books with me, I don't loose my page, I get them within seconds of clicking the button to buy. I do still read 'real' books though as often review copies come that way but now they just seem heavy to hold - hardbacks about kill me lol. All that said though, I do still like having a physical book shelf because it looks more awesome.

Review: Debutantes - Cora Harrison

Title: Debutantes
Author: Cora Harrison
Format: Uncorrected Proof
Pages: 320
Genre: Historical Fiction
Published (UK): 2nd August 2012 (McMillan Childrens)

It’s 1923 and London is a whirl of jazz, dancing and parties. Violet, Daisy, Poppy and Rose Derrington are desperate to be part of it, but stuck in an enormous crumbling house in the country, with no money and no fashionable dresses, the excitement seems a lifetime away.

Luckily the girls each have a plan for escaping their humdrum country life: Rose wants to be a novelist, Poppy a jazz musician and Daisy a famous film director. Violet, however, has only one ambition: to become the perfect Debutante, so that she can go to London and catch the eye of Prince George, the most eligible bachelor in the country.

But a house as big and old as Beech Grove Manor hides many secrets, and Daisy is about to uncover one so huge it could ruin all their plans—ruin everything—forever.

Having read mixed reviews of this book before starting it, I was unsure as to what to expect. If I'm honest, I wasn't expecting much from the book. A lot of the things brought up as issues with the book were pet hates of mine. Still, I tried to stay open minded.

While not the greatest of books, it wasn't actually as bad as I was expecting. It's probably suited more to a younger audience than it is marketed to, as the language and style is more simple than most YA books. The prose is a little too descriptive at times (there's only so much I need to know about what someone is wearing) and at times I got a bit confused between the four sisters because the only real distinguishable difference between them is their hair colour and their hobby. However, somehow, I kind of liked it. It kind of reminded me of things such as Downton Abbey and Ballet Shoes and while there's not a whole lot in the way of plot, it's a nice easy story to pass a couple of hours with.

Friday Follow and Hop - 21st June 2013

The Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Billy at Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer. It's a chance for book bloggers to connect and share the book love. Click the button for more details and to find the links to some awesome blogs.

This week's question is:
When you are writing your reviews, do you write them as you are reading or wait until you are completely done with the book?

I pretty much write them when I've finished the book and mostly I leave it a few days or so if I can to mull over my thoughts a little. Sometimes I will jot down a quick note while I'm reading if there's something I particularly want to mention but not very often. I did try doing the making lots notes while reading thing but I found that a) I was concentrating more on that than actually enjoying the book and b) more often then not I either lost the notes or didn't bother looking at them much anyway. It suits my style to just write what I think at the time.

Gain new followers and make new friends with the Book Blogger Feature & Follow! The Feature & Follow is hosted by two hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read so be sure to drop by both as they have different feature blogs.

This week's question/activiy is:
Activity: Favorite Literary Quote

Oh gosh, there's sooo many:

Harry Potter - JK Rowling

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." (I love this because it sums up both The Marauders and Fred & George perfectly)

Too Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee

“Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing.”

Oh, the Places You'll Go! - Dr. Seuss

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go...”

Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins

“Well, don't expect us to be too impressed. We just saw Finnick Odair in his underwear.”

Peter Pan - JM Barrie

“I do believe in fairies! I do! I do!”

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams

“For instance, on the planet Earth, man had always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much—the wheel, New York, wars and so on—whilst all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in the water having a good time. But conversely, the dolphins had always believed that they were far more intelligent than man—for precisely the same reasons.”

Review: Sketcher - Roland Watson-Grant

Title: Sketcher
Author: Roland Watson-Grant
Format: Paperback
Pages: 300
Genre: Contemporary fiction
Published (UK): 23rd May 2013 (Alma Books)

Nine-year-old "Skid" Beaumont's family is stuck in the mud. Following his father's decision to relocate and build a new home, based on a drunken vision that New Orleans would rapidly expand eastwards into the wetlands as a result of the Seventies' oil boom, Skid and his brothers grow up in a swampy area of Louisiana. But the constructions stop short, the dream fizzles out, and the Beaumonts find themselves sinking in a soggy corner of 1980s Cold War America. As things on the home front get more complicated, Skid learns of his mother's alleged magic powers and vaguely remembers some eerie stories surrounding his elder brother Frico. These, as well as early events that Skid saw with his own eyes, convince him that Frico has a gift to fix things by simply sketching them. For the next few years, Skid's self-appointed mission to convince his brother to join him in his lofty plan to change their family's luck and the world they live in will lead to even more mystery and high drama in the swamp.

Convinced that one day New Orleans will spread to the east, Aldrich Beaumont moved his family out to the, waiting for the city to catch up with them. It never happens. The story is narrated by the youngest of the family, Skid, and through him we get to see the highs and lows (mostly lows) of growing up in the swamps. The four boys of the family deal with life in their own way. Eldest, Tony, is the smart one, always ready with a logical explanation for everything. Doug's answer to everything is money and Frico is the artistic one. And Skid, well, he truly believes that Frico has a special ability that can rescue them all.

Initially, this book took a bit of getting in to due to the colloquial style of writing, but a short way in it flows nicely and really adds to the feel of the story and the essence of the characters. The characters themselves are well written and before long you find yourself really caring what happens to them. Obviously Skid is the one you grow attached to the most but there's a great cast of supporting characters from the boys' friends to the neighbours, Ma and Pa Campbell. The plot moves a nice pace and there's a couple of twists that you don't see coming until they hit you which keeps the story fresh and unpredictable.

Highly recommended.

Waiting on Wednesday - The Mayan Prophecy

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. What are you waiting on this week?

The Mayan Prophecy - Alex Scarrow

Liam O'Connor should have died at sea in 1912.

Maddy Carter should have died on a plane in 2010.

Sal Vikram should have died in a fire in 2026.

But all three have been given a second chance - to work for an agency that no one knows exists. Its purpose: to prevent time travel destroying history ...

When Maddy finally unlocks fragments of the secret that Becks has been holding on to, the TimeRiders start to piece together their true purpose. Racing through time to connect the clues, the team discover a Mayan tribe and an ancient relic provides a vital link to the past ... and future.

But not all the TimeRiders can cope with the discovery, and one threatens to bring them all down if they can act out their revenge ...

I love the TimeRiders series so really can't wait for this, the eighth book!

UK release date: 1st August 2013 (Puffin)

It's Monday - 17th June 2013

It's Monday! What are you reading? is a weekly event to celebrate what we are reading for the week hosted at Book Journey, Post the books completed last week, the books you're currently reading, and the books to be read this week. Please comment or leave a link to let me know what you're reading this week!

Completed last week

Crown of Midnight - Sarah J Maas
Sketcher - Roland Watson-Grant

Currently Reading

The Son of Neptune - Rick Riordan
Nowhere - Jon Robinson

Up soon

Breakdown - Katherine Amt Hanna

Teaser Tuesday - Crown of Midnight

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should be Reading Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others.
* Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Crown of Midnight - Sarah J Maas

Listening to him flirt, watching him grin at these girls, Dorian didn't know whether he wanted to punch Roland or walk away. But years of living in this festering court kept Dorian from doing anything but looking gloriously bored..

It's Monday - 10th June 2013

It's Monday! What are you reading? is a weekly event to celebrate what we are reading for the week hosted at Book Journey, Post the books completed last week, the books you're currently reading, and the books to be read this week. Please comment or leave a link to let me know what you're reading this week!

Completed last week

Bite Club - Rachel Caine
I'm still loving the Morganville series and I'm looking forward to getting on to the next one.

Currently Reading

 

Crown of Midnight - Sarah J Maas
I've only just really started this, I'm about three chapters in. I loved Throne of Glass and this one is great so far!

Sketcher - Roland Watson-Grant
This one is taking a while to get through. The story is good but there's a lot of dialect in the writing style which means I have to be in the mood to concentrate on it.

Up soon

 

Witchstruck - Victoria Lamb
Nowhere - Jon Robinson

I haven't decided which of these to start next, so I'm just going to see what mood I'm in when I finish one of my current reads.

Review: Angelfall - Susan Ee

Title: Angelfall
Author: Susan Ee
Series: Penryn and the End of Days #1
Format: Paperback
Pages: 290
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Dystopia
Published (UK): 23rd May 2013 (Hodder and Stoughton)

It's been six weeks since the angels of the apocalypse destroyed the world as we know it. Only pockets of humanity remain.

Savage street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night.

When angels fly away with a helpless girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back...

Angelfall throws you straight into a world in which angels have come down to Earth and essentially destroyed it. Penryn now lives in a society with intermittent (at best) electricity, food shortages and where going outside not only puts her at danger from the angels themselves but also humans who have to fight and steal to survive. If all of this wasn't bad enough she has to care for her wheelchair bound younger sister, Paige, and her mentally unstable mother. When Paige is taken by angels, Penryn helps one of them survive against a street gang, panning to get information from him about where her sister has been taken. This leads to an unlikely collaboration between the two as they journey to San Francisco.

Before reading Angelfall I was really excited about the concept but also a little concerned that it might not live up to expectations. Thankfully it did and I really enjoyed reading it. Okay, so the world building was a little sketchy in places - I'm not sure society would degrade quite so quickly - but as the plot was fast paced and the characters draw you in so I was easily able to look past it.

Penryn is a good protagonist, tough enough to survive but vulnerable enough to make it interesting. Raffe, the angel, could have come across as a little bit too perfect - but y'know, he's an angel. However, there's much more to him and at times when you aren't quite sure why he's helping Penryn - or even if he really is. The relationship between the two is an interesting one; they should hate each other but they have to learn to work together to survive and get to their destination.

I think one of the things I like best about this book was that the angels were basically proper angels in that they were warriors first and foremost. In other angel stories I've read they aren't very often portrayed in this way and it made a nice change.

I'm definitely looking forward to reading the sequel to this one.

Stacking the Shelves - 8th June 2013

Stacking the Shelves is a new meme hosted at Tynga Reviews. It's all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual.

For Review (from publisher unless stated)

 

Crown of Midnight - Sarah J Maas (netgalley)
Demigods and Monsters - Rick Riordan  (netgalley)

For Kindle

I had a bit of a spree this week on books I've been meaning to get for a while:

  

 

The Reluctant Assassin - Eoin Colfer
Reached - Ally Condie
Black City - Elizabeth RIchards
Hounded - Kevin Hearne
The Mark of Athena - Rick Riordan

Friday Follow and Hop - 7th June 2013

The Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Billy at Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer. It's a chance for book bloggers to connect and share the book love. Click the button for more details and to find the links to some awesome blogs.

This week's question is:
What is your favorite trilogy (series)?

Hunger Games! I'm guessing this is going to be a popular answer to this question. It would have been a close call with the Divergent series but as only two of those have been release so far I decided that the Hunger Games won.

Gain new followers and make new friends with the Book Blogger Feature & Follow! The Feature & Follow is hosted by two hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read so be sure to drop by both as they have different feature blogs.

This week's question is:
Have you broken up with a series? If so which one and why

I've probably got quite a few series I've given up on. Twilight is the first that springs to mind as I had to force my self to finish the first book so there was no chance of me continuing. And the Need series by Carrie Jones - I read about 3 of those but hated them, I'm not sure why or how I got through so many.

Others, such as the House of Night Series, are more on hiatus rather than being completely abandoned. I've gotten a few books into the series but just don't feel the need to rush onto the next one. I may get back to them at some point but with so many books on my tbr pile, others are taking priority.

Review: Dusk - Eve Edwards

Title: Dusk
Author: Eve Edwards
Series: Dusk #1
Format: Paperback
Pages: 400
Genre: YA, Historical
Published (UK): 6th June 2012 (Penguin)

Dusk by Eve Edwards is a beautiful love story set against the brutal back drop of WWI.

A love worth fighting for.

When Helen, a young hard-working nurse, meets aristocratic artist Sebastian, she doesn't expect to even like him, let alone fall in love. But against the troubled backdrop of wartime London, an unlikely but intense romance blossoms. And even the bloody trenches of the Somme, where they are both posted, cannot diminish their feelings for each other.

But Helen is concealing a secret and when a terrible crime is committed there are devastating consequences for them both.

When lives are being lost, can true love survive?

Dusk is a beautifully written story about a young couple mixed up in the brutality of war. Set during World War I, Sebastian is an officer in the army, doing his best to try to motivate his soldiers and keep them alive. Helen is also trying to save lives, working as a nurse behind the front lines. The narrative switches between their two perspectives as well as jumping back to their lives before the war, detailing how they met. The contrast between the two time periods serves to emphasises the horror of war. To start with I thought the constant switching would get confusing but it is done really well so it flowed nicely and I didn't once get mixed up with which character or time I was reading.

Helen and Sebastian are both really likeable characters. Helen has had a tough childhood and although shy and quiet, she's also feisty and determined when she needs to be. Sebastian is somehow adorable, even though I can't quite decide why; there's just something about him. He's a proper gentleman and I really liked that he essentially joined the army out of duty to his country and loyalty to his brother.

As I was reading the story, I was mostly expecting it to play out as a nice safe romance - not my usual thing but I do like me some historical fiction, so I tend to give exception in this genre. So, I was pleasantly surprised for there to be quite a twist towards the end and there is a bit of a cliff hanger making me eagerly anticipate the second book, Dawn, which is due out next year.

Waiting on Wednesday - The Testing

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. What are you waiting on this week?

The Testing - Joelle Charbonneau

Sixteen-year-old Cia Vale is honoured to be chosen for The Testing – a series of exams set by the United Commonwealth that selects the brightest young adults to become leaders of their war- stricken world. But when candidates start disappearing and Cia witnesses unimaginable horrors done in the United Commonwealth’s name it becomes clear that these are no ordinary exams, and Cia is forced to realise the truth: this is no longer about winning, but surviving.

UK release date: 1st August 2013 (Templar Publishing)

Top Ten Tuesday - Travel

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke & The Bookish
This week's topic is:
Top Ten Books Featuring Travel In Some Way
(road trips, airplanes, travelogues, anything where there is traveling in the book!)

1 - Northern Lights - Philip Pulman

Lyra travels to the North, where armoured bears rule the ice and witch-queens fly through the frozen skies - and where a team of scientists is conducting experiments too horrible to be spoken about.

2 - Wizard of Oz - L Frank Baum

Join Dorothy Gale, Toto, and all of her friends as they explore the incredible land of Oz.

The Beach - Alex Garland

In the tradition of grand adventure novels, Richard, a rootless traveler rambling around Thailand on his way somewhere else, is given a hand-drawn map by a madman who calls himself Daffy Duck. He and two French travelers set out on a journey to find this paradise.

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams

Seconds before the Earth is demolished to make way for a galactic freeway, Arthur Dent is plucked off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher for the revised edition of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy who, for the last fifteen years, has been posing as an out-of-work actor. Together this dynamic pair begin a journey through space aided by quotes from The Hitchhiker's Guide and a galaxy-full of fellow travelers

Leviathan - Scott Westerfeld

With World War I brewing, Alek and Deryn's paths cross in the most unexpected way … taking them on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure that will change both their lives forever.

The Lightning Thief - Rick Riordan

Percy and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus's stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. But to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - JK Rowling

Harry, Ron and Hermione travel the country on quest to find and destroy Voldemort's remaining Horcruxes. Then Harry must leave his most loyal friends behind, and in a final perilous journey find the strength and the will to face his terrifying destiny: a deadly confrontation that is his alone to fight.

Touch of Power - Maria V Snyder

Avry, a healer, is abducted by a band of rogues who, shockingly, value her gift above the golden bounty offered for her capture. As they traverse the daunting Nine Mountains, beset by mercenaries and magical dangers, Avry must decide who is worth healing and what is worth dying for.

Graceling - Kristen Cashore

On a journey of self-discovery, Katsa travels the Seven Kingdoms with Po in search of his Grandfather who has been kidnapped. Katsa never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace - or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away ... a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.


Stardust - Neil Gaiman

Hopelessly crossed in love, a boy of half-fairy parentage leaves his mundane
Victorian-English village on a quest for a fallen star in the magical realm. The star proves to be an attractive woman with a hot temper, who plunges with our hero into adventures featuring witches, the lion and the unicorn, plotting elf-lords, ships that sail the sky, magical transformations, curses whose effects rebound, binding conditions with hidden loopholes and all the rest.

Teaser Tuesday - Sketcher and Bite Club

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should be Reading Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others.
* Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Sketcher - Roland Watson-Grant

Now that may sound simple, but you don't just walk out of Valerie Beaumont's house in the pitch black of night without someone accompanying you or making sure there are no black bears or water moccasins or demons lurkin' about the swamp. Furthermore, Frico was only nine years old. How dare you walk your nine-year-old self out of the house and let the screen door slam behind you like you can't stand all that fightin' in your ear? And especially with-out your glasses. But see, that's the kind of crap that Frico Beaumont got away with.
.

Bite Club - Rachel Caine

Meeting Claire made me realise that I could be something different. Something better. The first time I saw her, black-and-blue but with this strange little core of strength ... I recognised something we had in common. We didn't quit. and we suffered for it..

It's Monday - 3rd June 2013

It's Monday! What are you reading? is a weekly event to celebrate what we are reading for the week hosted at Book Journey, Post the books completed last week, the books you're currently reading, and the books to be read this week. Please comment or leave a link to let me know what you're reading this week!

Completed last week

 

Angelfall - Susan Ee
The Lost Hero - Rick Riordan

Currently Reading

Sketcher - Roland Watson-Grant
Bite Club - Rachel Caine

Up soon

 

Prodigy - Marie Lu
Scent of Magic - Maria V Snyder

Stacking the Shelves - 1st June 2013

Stacking the Shelves is a new meme hosted at Tynga Reviews. It's all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual.

For Review (from publisher unless stated)

The Diviners - Libba Bray (Amazon Vine)
Breakdown - Katherine Amt Hanna (Amazon Vine)
Debutantes - Cora Harrison (Amazon Vine)
At Somerton: Secrets & Sapphires - Leila Rasheed (Amazon Vine)
Witchstruck - Victoria Lamb (Amazon Vine)
Angelfall - Susan Ee (Hodder and Stoughton) - not pictured

For Kindle

   

 

The City's Son - Tom Pollock
The Assassin and the Pirate Lord - Sarah J Maas
The Assassin and the Desert - Sarah J Maas
The Assassin and the Underworld - Sarah J Maas
The Assassin and the Empire - Sarah J Maas