2013 TBR Challenge

Welcome to 2012 TBR PILE Reading Challenge hosted by 6 bloggers, with 12 mini challenges and 24 books to be won! And guess what, I am participating :S

There were many many books that I have been meaning to read for quite some time but I have just not had a chance to do so and that's what I hope this challenge will motivate me to do.

Guidelines
***This challenge will run from Jan 1, 2013 – Dec 31, 2013***
+ Anyone can enter! You don’t have to be a blogger, as long as you review the book you’ve read! (On your blog, Amazon, Goodreads or Shelfari!)
+ Any genre, length or format of book counts, as long as it is a book that’s been sitting on your shelf for some time now. Only books released in 2012 or earlier! NO 2013 ARCs or 2013 fresh-off-the-press releases allowed!
+ You can list your books in advance or just put them in a wrap-up post. If you list them, feel free to change them as the mood suits you.
+ When you sign up in the linky, put the direct link to your post about joining the 2013 TBR PILE Reading Challenge.
+ You can move up levels, but no moving down.
+ Sign-ups will be open until Dec 15, 2013, so feel free to join at any time throughout the year.
+ On the 20th of each month one of the hosts will post a wrap-up. Every wrap-up will be a unique theme, and include a mini-challenge, a giveaway and place for you to link up your reviews from that month. For each review you link up, you will get one entry in a drawing of one book of your choice from The Book Depository. It’s open to INTERNATIONALS. The giveaway will be open until the next wrap up post goes up! (i.e., the entire year).
+ If you miss a wrap-up post + giveaway, you can link up your reviews next month. Do not, however, try to link up one review twice - we will be checking.
+ December is a wrap-up for the whole year. All the book reviews you linked up January-November + the ones you’ll link up in December will be entered into a HUGE giveaway for a box of books.
You don’t have to follow all the hosts to join the challenge, but you do have to follow all of us to be entered in the giveaways!

To sign up click on the Link!

My TBR list:

I am only aiming for the firm handshake level (1-10 books) because there is so much more that I wish to do in 2013 so I don't want to tie myself down too much.

1. Obsidian by Jennifer Armentrout.
2. Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter.
3. The first two books in the Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare.
4. The two books in the Delirium series by Lauren Oliver.
5. A book by my author friend Dennis Higgins.
6. A Part to Play by Jennifer Fry as she so kindly sent me an autographed copy.
7. Haven by Lucian Barnes.

Top 10 anticipated reads for 2013

 

 

The Top 10 Books I am looking forward to in 2013.

I have added a few books I am looking forward to in 2013 by authors that I have just recently discovered. I hope you enjoy reading my list and please feel free to comment. 

Here goes...

1. Splintered by A.G.Howard. I'm sure you've all seen the beautiful cover for this book, and hopefully heard about it too. When I was composing my list of books to read in 2013 this popped up first.

 

 

2. The Indigo Spell (Bloodlines #3) By Richelle Mead.

Adrian and Sydney are back? Yay me!

 

 

3. Book 2 in Penryn & the End of the Days by Susan Ee is apparently coming out in 2013. Please let me know if you have any more information about this. Book 1 (Angelfall) was my favourite 2012 book so I would love to see whether the second book is as good, or better!

I have a confession. The next few books on my list are books that I am looking forward to but i have not read the previous books in the series *hangs head in shame*. I will get round to reading them, I hope!

4. Clockwork Princess (The Infernal Devices #3) by Cassandra Clare.

 

 

5. Requiem (Delirium #3) by Lauren Oliver.

6. Unravel Me (Shatter Me #2) by Tahereh Mafi.

7. I am looking forward to Patrick Rothfuss' third book in his Kingkiller Chronicles series but I am not sure if The Doors of Stone will be released in 2013 or 2014 (How am I to wait that long???).
I loved his first two books but the wait between them is way too long, although I guess writing about £1k worth of excellent fantasy cannot be rushed. Too much.

8. From reading my blog, I hope you are now aware of Shadows & Voices (Holly Silverstone #1) by Jason Ellis. I read and reviewed this book and although it was aimed at slightly younger readers, I really enjoyed it! So much so, that the sequel has made my top 10 books to read in 2013. So no pressure Jason ;)

9. Silenced by Raebeth Buda. If you follow me on facebook and/or twitter (if you don't, then please do!) then you will know that I am involved in promoting Silenced, which has become much easier since I read the novella because I love, love, loved it! I believe that everyone needs to add this to their TBR list for 2013, I for one am looking forward to the sequel in 2013.

Alas, I am still mourning over the completion of the Harry Potter Series. Yes, I should have gotten over it by now but I can't help it. I would have loved to look forward to another HP book. So let's move on to my tenth and final book for 2013.

10. Finally, I am looking forward to reading a book by Jennifer Armentrout since I have not read a single book by her... I know, outrageous. I don't know if I will manage to read the three books prior to Apollyon in the Covenant series but I will definitely try!

Bestest Boyfriends of 2012

My Best Book Boyfriends of 2012.

1. Ok ordinarily I would leave the best until last but I believe Augustus Waters from The Fault in Our Stars deserves a special mention. Yes, Augustus in the book is a disabled guy who suffers from Cancer but he was also unbelievably adorable so I could not help being awestruck! On a different note, I cannot wait until John Green comes to London in February 2013, I already have my tickets (: Yay me.

2. Patch from Finale (Hush Hush #4) by Becca Fitzpatrick. Dark, mysterious and unpredictable, Patch was definitely one of my favourites.

3. Hmmm....who can be number 3... perhaps the lazy yet loyal Shane from Morganville Vampires?

4. Another best boyfriend of mine (now that definitely sounds dodgey) was Daniel from Rapture (fallen #4) by Lauren Kate. I liked his predicament of losing his Luce again and again, and still being unable to stop himself from falling in love with her.

5. Oh my, how have I forgotten to mention the warrior Akiva from Days of Blood & Starlight. His story is beautiful, falling in love with the enemy, watching the Chimaera slaughter his beloved and then having her resurrected as Karou.

6. There were many potential boyfriends in the The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater, and although this was not a top read for 2012, I think one of the raven boys makes this list. The focussed Gansey in his search or perhaps poor Adam always trying to fit in? No, I preferred Ronan's fierceness to the others, partly because he seemed more of the tortured soul than the others, and partly because he made me laugh the most too, with his brash comments!

7. *sigh* and ofcourse the one and only Adrian from The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead. Adrian's charm and his attraction to alchemist Sydney, puts him in my top 10 for sure!

8. Now, I tend to prefer dark over light but in the case of Fated (Soul seekers #1) by Alyson Noel, I must say I quite liked Dace, although I try to omit his long hair when I picture what his character looks like!

9. Raffe! Awesome guy from Angelfall by Susan Ee, loved his slow growing with Penryn who is on a mission to try and get her sister back.

10. I am finding it rather difficult to think of a tenth best boyfriend because although I read plenty of books this year, a fair number of those books were releases prior to 2012, which I had not gotten around to reading. And so, I will end this post with the one and only Damon Salvatore from the Vampire Diaries. Yes I am cheating again because I have not actually read any of the new vampire diaries book releases by L.J.Smith, instead I watch the TVD series. Regardless, the bestest of best boyfriends for 2012 has to be Damon Salvatore!

Happy Days
Zed (:

Best villains of 2012

Best VILLAINS of 2012

Hello there! My list of top villains is as follows:

1. The ageless supermodel Melisande from The Shadow and the Rose by Amanda De Wees.

2. This one may seem strange because I am choosing Skinny from Skinny By Donna Cooner.  For me, Skinny was the inner voice within Ever and although Skinny was part of the main female character herself, I thought the subconscious was Ever's enemy. Until Skinny was destroyed, Ever could not have her happy ending.

3. Hank from Finale (Hush Hush #4) by Becca Fitzpatrick

4. The two queens from Forged by Greed by Angela Orlowsky-Peart. Amber and Crystal were both vicious characters and although Amber was more venomous than Crystal, they were both villains to me.

5. My final villain (because I cannot think of 10) is from The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. The villain in this book was the disease of cancer. Now, some may question why I have chosen an illness as a 'villain' but to me a villain is someone or something that prevents a person from being happy or successful. It is possible to destroy tangible villains but with something like cancer, it could not be destroyed and so Cancer was the ultimate Villain of 2012.




I hope you enjoyed my five villains from 2012!

Zed (:

 

Review of Scarlet Night

Scarlet Night

By Megan J. Parker

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About the book

Zane Murdoch just got a tattoo.

The problem is, the tattoos are a magically infused curse that turns him into a raging beast and the only hope he has of curing it is absolving his rage. Seems simple enough until he and his clan are nearly demolished in a powerful attack. Now Zane finds himself involved in a paranormal battle of mystical proportions and breaking the curse may be a bit more challenging than he thought.

Serena Vailean is alone in the world and quite frankly that's how she likes it…

At least until she finds a way to bring back her dead lover, Devon Thomas. Unfortunately for her, plans have a nasty way of changing and she finds herself thrust back into the world she's been trying so desperately to escape. Her only hope is to seek
help from the very people she has gone to great lengths to avoid.

As an epic battle approaches, Serena and Zane must rely on each other and overcome their personal demons if they plan to survive.

Unfortunately, caging a demon makes them all the harder to control.

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My Thoughts

I was given this e-book in exchange for an honest review and like the many new authors books I have recently reviewed, I really enjoyed it.

Be warned, there is a fair amount of strong language used but in a comical way. Some of the most action-packed scenes made me laugh because of Serena and Zane’s banter.

Serena has the uncanny ability to irritate anyone and get under their skin without trying. Her bluntness is refreshing and sets her apart from ‘ordinary’ female protagonists in paranormal fiction.

As with all brilliant stories, this ends with a cliff-hanger, and has me confused to know what will happen next!

Merry Christmas all

Zed (:

Best Book covers of 2012

 

Best Book Covers of 2012

 

Sorry guys, I didn't get a chance to write up my top 10 books yesterday but in terms of covers, these were my favourites. I think the covers I have chosen are semi-biased, because when I read a book I end up liking the cover more too, and vice versa!!!

Happy Christmas!

 

10. Black Dawn by Rachel Caine

(inspiration for my haircut too!); and

 

9. Finale by Becca Fitzpatrick

 

 

8. The Golden Lily By Richelle Mead

 

7. Silenced by Raebeth McGee Buda

 

 

 

6. Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor; and

 

5. Fated by Alyson Noel

 

 

4. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

 

3. Cinder by Marissa Meyer; and

 

2. Alive in Zombieland by Gena Showalter

 

1. Angelfall by Susan Ee

This was my favourite book of 2012. Loved it!!!

 

HAppy Holidays...

Zed (:



Blood debt tour!

Title: Blood Debt

Series: Touched #1
Author: Nancy Straight
Self-Published
Release Date: July 13, 2012
Pages: 293
Buy Link: Amazon (Paperback) | Amazon (Kindle) | Smashwords

Blurb:

Her whole life, it had just been the two of them. Before her mother’s last breath, she gave Camille the information she had craved her entire life: the identity of her father. Daring to contact him, Camille was welcomed by an entire family she never knew existed. But nothing comes without a price, as she discovers when her family claims a legendary heritage tracing back to a Centaur touched by Zeus.

As she learns the secrets of her Centaur bloodline, she is drawn into a forbidden love with Drake. Her family acknowledges her life may be the blood debt required to pay for her mother’s transgressions. The same person who once held her mother captive, and forced her into decades of hiding, now controls Camille. Her only chance is to seek a piece of her mother’s past that will win her freedom and the life she desperately desires.

 About the Author:

Nancy was born in Sioux City Iowa, left the cold of the Midwest in 1991 and only returns to see family in the summer time. She spent ten years traveling the world as a US Marine and settled in rural SC with her husband and two children.

She enjoys reading all types of Paranormal and Young Adult literature – so long as there is a love story.  She loves Starbucks’ White Mocha Latte and Mountain Dew, (but not together). She has a lead foot so she sets cruise control when she drives, even in 25 MPH zones. Nancy almost never wins when she plays Angry Birds, but keeps her 8 year old close, so he can clear the hard levels for her. She grew up on a farm and is opposed to eating fresh chicken (not opposed to meat - just opposed to any meat that was alive a few hours before lunch). Nancy has written five Young Adult / New Adult novels and can be found nightly on Facebook and Twitter.

 

Blog | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

Hey all, you have the choice to win Book 1 (Blood Debt) or Book 2 (Centaur Legacy) so enter, enter, enter!!!

 

Zed (:

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