The Fledgling Handbook Giveaway Now Closed!

The Fledgling Handbook is NOW CLOSED. 

The Winner will be drawn and announced on Friday the 30th of September - GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE!

Isme
The Book Slooth

REVIEW: The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder

After hearing so much buzz about The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder around the blogosphere, I got my hands on a copy, here's what I think...

Since April moved to a new school, she has been ignored by most people, except her new best friend, Hayley. But then Hayley moves to Kansas and April is left alone. On the start of the new school year, April is paired with one of the most popular girls in sport class. Now, as April moves up the ranks, she realises that the glamorous life really isn't what it sounds like. And it comes with a set of rules that can change you...


I'll start on a good note; The Lipstick Laws was great. It was a high-school life, teenage-drama that was entertaining and fluffy. Emphasis on fluffy.

In my opinion, The Lipstick Laws lacked depth. Now, you might be thinking, 'what is she saying?? It's a cheesy (but great) high school novel after all?' 
Yes, that is true, and I loved reading this book, it was a great escape that whisked me away into another world for a few hours, but I did find this plot predictable, and a lot like many other books and movies out there. Done to death. Giving off an atmosphere uncannily similar to that of the 2004 movie Mean Girls.

I liked Holder's style of writing and would love to see something a little mor original from her as I am sure that she would execute it very well.

However, if you are 13-16, looking for a quick read that keeps your attention and is a great fun, The Lipstick Laws is it.

REVIEW: The Morganville Vampires Books 2&3

I just read books 2 and 3 of The Morganville Vampires, and what can I say?
Loved It.

Since everybody knows that they are going to be great, I thought that instead of a full - fledged review for each book in the entire series, I might combine them, focusing on what the books are about - without giving too much away, and giving a paragraph or two of what I thought about each.

So, without further a du...

BEWARE! DO NOT READ ON IF YOU ARE AFRAID OF THE DARK. OR SPOILERS.

Book 2: The Dead Girls Dance

Good News: Shane's dad is in town. Not so good news: he's horrible, he brought a bikie gang with them and his dad has a temper. Even worse: The gang has a vendetta against the vampires of Morganville. Suddenly, life isn't always as sunny as Claire thought it would turn out to be. Oh, and that revenge plot,  yeah, it's personal.

Book 3: Midnight Alley

Ever since Claire made the life-altering decision of signing her life off to head honcho vampire Amelie, nothing's happened. Some may say it's the calm before the storm, or that something's brewing. They're right. Out of the blue, Amelie demands that Claire works with an ancient, dangerous and just slightly mad vampire. Now maybe Claire will need Amelie's protection, her life depends on it after all.


Midnight Alley and The Dead Girls Dance have been written with the usual Rachel Caine flair. Full of dark humour, sassy one-liners and intimidating situations. As usual, the characters were crafted well, all following the logic that they have been developed with throughout the book.
Entertaining, absorbing and a great plot line that leaves you knowing there's more, the second and third installments will have you hooked.

REVIEW: Shadow Girl by John Larkin

Based on a true story, The Shadow Girl by John Larking delves deep into the world of those who live on the streets and how they got there.

After the death of her parents, The Shadow Girl goes to live with her aunt and uncle. Quickly, the situation turns abusive, and after years of abuse, at the first chance she gets, The Shadow Girl runs. 
She runs from Uncle Creepo's death threats, his menacing glare, and the prospect of going back to that life again. On the run from what she knows she never wants to go back to again, can The Shadow Girl find a true home?


One word - amazing.

Larkin has woven a novel that is very impressive, it keeps you engaged, on your toes and reading into the wee hours of the morning. Funnily enough, just like the character of his book.

Although this novel is amazing, before reading it, you should know that it is very graphic. There are some scenes that could cause you to be upset as they are very lifelike, with vivid descriptions. This is a very confronting book.
Because of this fact, I would reccomend it for people 14-15 years and up.


On the other hand, if you can look past that aspect of the book, you will find yourself immersed into the world of The Shadow Girl, where life is a day to day concept.

The novel is written two styles, separated into 3 acts. The two styles alternate, between chapters called cafe; where The Shadow Girl talks to an author to tell him her story, and The actual novel's chapters, where the story takes place.
It has been cleverly crafted to include both of these sections so that they intertwine to create one, cohesive story.

I admired the main character, The Shadow Girl. Her strength, resilience and sheer determination are what amaze you throughout this book.

Extremely well written and a definite must read, The Shadow Girl is certainly a novel that everybody should read.

Cover of the Week - The Fine Art of Truth or Dare

I am completely enamoured with the cover of The Fine art of Truth and Dare by Melissa Jensen.
The juxtaposition between the modern day background and the art in the foreground just finds me drawn to it. Like Harry Potter fans waiting for the next installment, I am waiting in bated breath for this book to come out early next year.
It seems that it will be a fun, light-hearted read, similar to that of Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins.


So, cover loves unite, here is one for the memory banks!

Things we say today that we owe to Shakespeare

It is amazing how many things we say today that were actually coined by Shakespeare. I mean, eveybody knows the classics, such as, to be or not to be, etcetera etcetera.
But did you know how much the man with one earring, Elizabethan collar and a vocabulary of over 23,000 words, still influences our lives today?

Well, Becky, a 20 year old Literature student in London does.
She scribbled down all the phrases she could think of at 3am, and here is the product.

What do you think??

 

Can you think of any others?

To learn more about Becky and her 52 books in 52 weeks challenge, visit here blog here

(via English Muse, from run)

House of Night Giveaway Extended

The House of Night Giveaway has been extended for another week!

For extra entries in the competition, simply spread the word and leave a link/ username for each.
(facebook, twitter and goodreads.)

Now, for convenience, there is a handy dandy poster and a cute as a - button - button!

Note the NEW closing date of the competition at the bottom of this post!

click here to enter!

Guest Post: Jess from Tales Compendium

Hi everyone! Jess from The Tales Compendium here. When Isme asked if I would be interested in writing a guest post I thought, ‘Yeh of course,’ but then I had to make the decision on what I would write about. So today I thought I would share with you why I blog and why I love it.

Before I started The Tales Compendium over eighteen months ago, I had no idea just how popular YA was. I mean, I knew it was popular because I worked in a bookstore and saw how well it was selling, but what I didn’t know was that its popularity reached SO many different age groups. I always thought I was in the minority being twenty-something and still reading YA books. Sure I read some adult books too, but they never seemed to grab me like YA did and so I always felt embarrassed reading YA in public, worried what people would think of someone my age still reading ‘kids books’. I started The Tales Compendium as a forum for me to be able to share my love of YA and to help get the word out about all the wonderful books and authors I had discovered. Through my blog I realised that while teenagers were the intended readership of YA, the amount of adult YA readers almost equals if not overtakes that of the under 18 readership.

I also found an amazing community of people sharing ideas and their love, and sometime dislike, of YA books. I’ve made so many friends through blogging, in Australia and elsewhere in the world, that I can’t imagine not being part of it. I get a buzz when I find someone who loves a book as much as me and can put up with me gushing about it. I love being able to contact an author and tell them just how much I loved their book. And I’m sure that gives them a buzz too. I love to hear from people who read my reviews, whether they agree with me or not. Blogs are ‘opinion’ avenues. I write to share, so I love it when people share with me. No matter how insignificant you think your comment may be, believe me, they’re not, and we do read your comments. Next time you’re reading a blog post and it makes you smile, or you think, ‘Oooh I’d like to read that,’ spend the 30 seconds it takes to leave a quick comment on that post. It will give the blogger a smile, brighten their day, and remind them why they do what they do and spend so many hours doing it.

Sometimes it does get all too much, the pressure to read and review the growing number of books sitting on my bedside table (and piled high on the floor!), to keep up with those reviewers who somehow manage to review a book ever day or so, and to be constantly keeping up with what is new and going on not only in the book world but also the blogosphere as well. At the end of the day though, that pressure isn’t coming from the other bloggers, or the publishers who are kind enough to send me ARC’s. No, the pressure comes from myself, one that I need not put on my shoulders. I started blogging as a fun way to talk about the books I was reading, new or old, and that’s the way I want to continue. I still review the latest books, but I don’t want it to be at the cost of the gems that could be waiting for me in my ever growing pile, regardless of how old they may be.


We do it to share the love.

.......................................................................................................................................................................

Thank you Jess for this great post, It's so true!

If you haven't been to Jess's blog before, check it out here.

The House of Night Fledging Handbook Giveaway

A must-have for any House of Night Fan, The Fledgling Handbook is an inside look into the world of vampires, written as if you were the one receiving the handbook.

The Fledgling Handbook is divided into six parts.

Part One is the Introduction: it introduces you to life at the house of night with a breakdown of Class Emblems, Fledgling Curriculum, and a place to write your class schedule.

Part Two covers Vampyre Biology: it explains how to recognise that you have been marked, The physiology of being marked, the initial symptoms, Permanent Symptoms, Psychological Changes and notes on life and death as a vampyre. It also gives a section for you to note down the changes you have noticed in becoming a vampyre.

Part Three covers Everything Ritualistic: How important they are to Vampyre and Fledgling Life, the symbols and incantations involved - what they mean, how to conduct a ritual of your own and the stories behind the traditions of vampyre life. It also provides a place to journal your ritual experiences.

Part Four is all about Nightkind Elementology. It helps you identify what element you specialise in and informs you of Vampyrekind celebrations.

Part Five is a brief introduction to Vampre history, everything you ever needed or wanted to know about Vampyre History.

And finally, Part Six is words of encouragement from fellow fledglings and vampires for those moments when you feel drained of spirit and need a boost.

A great present for House of Night fans, this would be suitable for teenage girls. I, being a House of Night fan myself, really enjoyed reading this manual and would recommend it as an interesting afternoon read on a stormy day. Cuddle up with a nice warm drink, light a few candles and get in the mood to immerse yourself in the Vampyre world. 

For your chance to win a copy of The Fledgling Handbook, simply comment on this post with the following details:

- Name/ Username

- Email

- If you follow on Facebook, Twitter or Goodreads, then there is an extra entry for each. For this part, put your username for the respective account. 

A Comment - if you wish!

Open from Tuesday September 6th to Wednesday September 21st! 

Good Luck!

Isme