À bientôt!

No posts the past week, because I had a bad cold and didn't feel well or like blogging at all. But as you might have noticed, I've got a new layout. I'd like to hear what you think about it!

And for the unusual French headline: I'm going to Paris in less than 12 hours!! I'll be back next week with a bunch of books, pictures and new blog posts. Can't wait to explore Anna & Étienne and Kate  & Vincent's city:)

Have you been to Paris before? Tell me whatI need to see! Anything special?

Movie Trailer: Ruby Red

It's here! The first trailer  of RUBY RED, movie adaptation based on the book by Kerstin Gier. It's in German since Kerstin Gier's from Germany and the movie is produced there aswell. Have a look at Gideon & Gwyneth! Click on the picture to watch the trailer!

Release Date:  March 14th 2013

Maria Ehrich & Jannis Niewöhner

Gwyneth Shepherd's sophisticated, beautiful cousin Charlotte has been prepared her entire life for traveling through time. But unexpectedly, it is Gwyneth, who in the middle of class takes a sudden spin to a different era!
Gwyneth must now unearth the mystery of why her mother would lie about her birth date to ward off suspicion about her ability, brush up on her history, and work with Gideon--the time traveler from a similarly gifted family that passes the gene through its male line, and whose presence becomes, in time, less insufferable and more essential. Together, Gwyneth and Gideon journey through time to discover who, in the 18th century and in contemporary London, they can trust.

 Summary by Goodreads

Book Review: Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins

Title: Sweet Evil

Author: Wendy Higgins

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publishing Date: May 1^st 2012

Length: 453 pages

Keywords: YA, fiction, romance, fantasy, sins, demons, angels

Source: Bought

Embrace the Forbidden

What if there were teens whose lives literally depended on being bad influences?

This is the reality for sons and daughters of fallen angels.

Tenderhearted Southern girl Anna Whitt was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She's aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but Anna, the ultimate good girl, has always had the advantage of her angel side to balance the darkness within. It isn't until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage and her willpower is put to the test. He's the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.

Forced to face her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns?

Summary by Goodreads 

SWET EVIL is so forbiddingly well written that I can't imagine anyone ever setting this book aside for more than a few minutes after starting it. Well, I needed to for bathroom and kitchen breaks, but believe me, I would have read straight on from beginning to end if that was possible.

Anna is one heroine I could almost 100 % identify with. A very rare occurance. She's the good girl, shy and very emotional about everything.  

That Anna is one of a kind adds thrill and curiosity to the story. She is angel and demon all at once. Having an angelic mother and a demonic father. Everything's new to her and she has yet to find her destiny and place in life. How evil does she have to be to survive the Dukes constant supervision and how much evil might kill the goodness that makes her the person she is?

Kaidan, our male protagonist, is pure dynamite. Erasing every other book boy from my dreams. Well, as the son of Pharzuph he knows how it's done. Ladies, get ready to be expertly seduced! Kaidan Rowe is attractive, sexy and even if he would never admit it, he has a heart and is very capable of using his brain and not only..yeah, you know.

The contrast between Anna and Kaidan is enormous at first look. He is the bad boy, having to have as much sex as possible to please his demonic father of lust. Anna is the angelic good girl. You'll see them being together is an explosive combination. Anna will be tested and also Kaidan has to face who he really is.

I like how much Wendy Higgins extracts from her characters and gifts to us readers. Her characters are made of awesome!

There was one teeny tiny thing that bugged me though. Wendy Higgings incorporated a few German sentences, which I really appreciate. More foreign languages in YA English books, please! But somehow the phrase got mixed up and wasn't translated correctly. I guess it just slipped through the edits.

What would SWEET EVIL be wihout the big evil? Wendy Higgins spins a story of sins and acts of kindness. Goodness battleling evil. So there's no way round meeting the various Dukes of sin and all the bad in the world. Quite entertaining I say. Expect to read a lot about inappropriate behaviour, much cussing, cheating, sleeping around etc. 

There's a list of the Dukes and their offspring at the end of the book, so don't worry if you can't remember all the names and attributes after their first mention.

Up until a few days ago Wendy Higgins hadn't been sure if there would be another book in the SWEET EVIL series. The news: Harper signed her for a trilogy. So there will be two more books after SWEET EVIL!! I can hardly contain my excitement.

1) of the will to sacrifice

2) what happens on road trips...

3) of the sweetest angelic heroine

4) of temptations one simply cannot resist

5) of a bond of sizzling hotness extraordinare

5/5 ***** SWEET EVIL – A seductively delicious treat!

This book was so much more than I'd hoped it would be. Kaidan and Anna's connection is sizzling hot. The entire cast is so brazenly charismatic and wonderful. The challenge to ever get that book out of my mind is on! It's a real joy for sinners and a dare for saints! SWEET EVIL makes you want to be both!

* Read an extract of SWEET EVIL here. 

* Watch the book trailer. 

* Here's the SWEET EVIL playlist. 

* Want to meet Wendy? Check out her event schedule! 

* Want to read the first chapter from Kaidan's point of view? Click here! 

* For further information about Wendy and her books visit www.wendyhigginswrites.com

Cover Quiz

My Saturday was pretty lazy. Spent in my PJs, lounging on the new couch and reading. It was then that I thought about the prettiness a collage of book covers with people holding hands would make. See the result below. Can you name all nine covers? Mark the place under the cover jumble to see the book titles. 

There You'll Find Me by Jenny B. Jones - Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally - Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson - Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles - Epic Fail by Claire LaZebnik - Something Like Fate by Susane Colasanti - Moonglass by Jessi Kirby - The Next Door Boys by Jolene B. Perry - The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Book Review: What's Left Of Me (The Hybrid Chronicles #1) by Kat Zhang

 

Title: What's Left Of My (The Hybrid Chronicles #1)

Author: Kat Zhang

Publisher: HarperCollins

Publishing Date: September 18th 2012

Length: 352 pages

Keywords: YA, fiction, fantasy, romance, dystopia

Source: Edelweiss

What's Left of Me tells the story of a fifteen-year-old girl fighting for her right to survive in a world where two souls are born into each body and one is doomed to disappear. Pitched as The Golden Compass meets Girl, Interrupted.

Eva and Addie started out the same way as everyone else—two souls woven together in one body, taking turns controlling their movements as they learned how to walk, how to sing, how to dance. But as they grew, so did the worried whispers. Why aren’t they settling? Why isn’t one of them fading? The doctors ran tests, the neighbors shied away, and their parents begged for more time. Finally Addie was pronounced healthy and Eva was declared gone. Except, she wasn’t…

For the past three years, Eva has clung to the remnants of her life. Only Addie knows she’s still there, trapped inside their body. Then one day, they discover there may be a way for Eva to move again. The risks are unimaginable–hybrids are considered a threat to society, so if they are caught, Addie and Eva will be locked away with the others. And yet…for a chance to smile, to twirl, to speak, Eva will do anything.

Summary by Goodreads

When I first heard about it, WHAT'S LEFT OF ME reminded me a bit of THE HOST by Stephenie Meyer. From its general idea of two souls living in one body. But that's where all similarities end. Kat Zhang's story goes an entirely different way.

It's hard to describe the setting of WHAT'S LEFT OF ME. The world feel apart a long time ago, with the US in the middle of riots and fights for power. So that makes it feel like a dystopian.  At the same time the protagonists' lives feels ordinary and almost boring in the first few chapters. I would've wished for a bit more action.

The concept of living with two souls in one body, is called hybridity. It's perfectly normal to start out with two differen personalities, but children are encouraged or forced to abandon one in the process of maturing. It's forbidden to be a hybrid to ensure stability and order.

So that's where our protagonist Addie & Eva come into play. Addie's the dominant soul controlling their body and pretending to be the only soul left in that girl's body, but there's still Eva left. Always in the background of their life. The interesting part is that the story is told from Eva's point of view. She's been the best observer all along, only concentrating on still being a part somehow and not getting lost. I enjoyed Eva's voice and her telling the story, but I've got a bunch of things that just didn't work for me.

The first chapter does a good job of introducing us to the setting, characters and the point that our main character Addie & Eva is a hybrid, which is forbidden. We get the conflict and know what to expect in future. A clash between hybrids and the government, Eva & Addie and the rest of society.

The next several chapters, follow the same rythm though. All the time circling around Addie & Eva being a hyrid and what it means for them, for their family, for their neighbours, fellow students. At some point I felt too tired to listed to that anymore.

With two souls in one body it might not be easy to live together and there is a higher conflict potential, but their inner quarrels about doing this or doing that, the right and wrong thing, got on my nerve after some time. Could also be because I didn't really find a connection to Addie, and only to Eva.

A big part of the novel is made up of inner conversation between Eva and Addie, which makes an easy to read dialogue. It's marked through special signs; so that you don't get too confused about who's speaking. 

There is action to some extend and the setting changes to something more threatening after some time into the story. Addie & Eva are confronted with several obstacles and revelations concerning the being of hybrids. They are forced to make rash decisions to not only save their lives but these of their friends, too.

There's also a time span in which Addie & Eva mostly interact with fellow hybrids to experience what it means being hybrid. That's when they also meet the potential love interest, Ryan. The bond between Eva and him was the only thing that kept me reading til the end, because I really wanted to know how their feelings for each other unfolded and in how far a relationship would be possible with Eva who's never really been in control over their body.

1) of never letting go

2) of a really intriguing hybridity concept

3) of an impossible romance made possible

4) of the chance to find your own voice

5) of a moment to feel normal again 

2,5/5 **/* WHAT'S LEFT OF ME - Or better what's left of my patience. Two or three likeable characters can't increase my interest in this very slow paced dystopia.

The HYBRID CHRONICLES are based on an interesting concept and Kate Zhang really did find a good voice for protagonist Eva and an intriguing way to develop the romance between her and Ryan. But there were just too many aspects about the story that were not to my liking. I'm not sure if I'll find the time and patience to read the sequel of WHAT'S LEFT OF ME if it's held in the same detailed and slow paced writing, but I still recommend you to give this story a try if the summary and story concept sound appealing to you.

* Read an excerpt of WHAT'S LEFT OF ME.

* Want to meet Kat Zhang? Check out her schedule.

* Click here to see a list of interviews and guest posts by Kat Zhang.

* For further information about Kat Zhang and her books visit www.katzhangwriter.com

New Releases: September 10th - September 16th

September 11th

Tilt by Ellen Hopkins

Hidden (Firelight #3) by Sophie Jordan

Flesh & Bone (Benny Imura #3) by Jonathan Maberry

Coveresque feat. Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver (US vs. UK vs.German)

    US                                       UK                                    German

PANDEMONIUM is the sequel to Lauren Oliver's DELIRIUM (which is one of my all time favourite books!) and it finally got a German cover. So there was no way round a PANDEMONIUM coveresque.

We never got to see the US cover for PANDEMONIUM following the original cover art, unfortunately. The re-design is ok for me, but the US cover isn't exactly one I'craving to see on a book on my shelf.
I was an immediate fan of the UK cover the second I got a first glimpse at it. I'm in love with it! With the flower scenery, romantic sunset, the colors, the light and the silhouetted girl in the centre, it has everything beautiful on one single cover image. My number one cover choice for this book!

If you've seen the German DELIRIUM cover, you probably haven't expected too much of the PANDEMONIUM cove aswell. But it better and I have to say that I actually like the cover. The writing, 'Kampf' meaning 'fight' or 'battle', all over it , the bluish colors and the girl's face.

Which do you like best?

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      French                         Polish                        Dutch          

Book Review: Shooting Stars by Allison Rushby

Title: Shooting Stars

Author: Allison Rushby

Publisher: Walker

Publishing Date: February 28^th 2012

Length: 265 pages

Keywords: YA, contemporary, romance, stars, photography, undercover

Source: Author

Meet Josephine Foster, or Zo Jo as she’s called in the biz. The best pint-sized photographer of them all, Jo doesn’t mind doing what it takes to get that perfect shot, until she’s sent on an undercover assignment to shoot Ned Hartnett—teen superstar and the only celebrity who’s ever been kind to her—at an exclusive rehabilitation retreat in Boston. The money will be enough to pay for Jo’s dream: real photography classes, and maybe even quitting her paparazzi gig for good. Everyone wants to know what Ned’s in for. But Jo certainly doesn’t know what she’s in for: falling in love with Ned was never supposed to be part of her assignment.

Summary by Goodreads 

SHOOTING STARS is a really nice summer read. Josephine appears to be an ordinary teenager. If you'd met her on the street, you wouldn't guess how she's making her money. But if you take a closer look you see that there's something about her that's more business and passion than average teen.

­­­­­­­
She's got an incredibly fast finger when it comes to snapping pictures. She is sneaky and has all the high-tech equipment and ideas to give her exactly the pictures she wants to shoot. I'm a fan of taking pictures myself. Whenever I have time or find me on a trip, there's no way around bringing my camera. Without it I'd feel like missing a limb. That's exactly how Zo Jo (Josephine's business name) feels. She is a pro when it comes to celebrity photography. She makes a lot of money and earned some respect in the paparrazi business.

In SHOOTING STARS we'll see Josephine in action. And in various tricky situations. Let's see how she uses her equipment to her advantage and against her competitors.

I found the idea of a teenage papprazzo so funny and refreshing that I had SHOOTING STARS on my list since I knew it was going to be published. It has the Hollywood glam factor the business craves. But also shows the other, more real, human side of it all.

You'll find out how business deals with the fate and privacy of single people of public interest, biding high sums of money to get the best stories and pictures before everyone else.

Allison Rushby did a nice sketch of how the industry works and in how far it can change people, make them into worse, in exceptions better, versions of themselves.

And because a good YA contemporary shouldn't miss romance, there is one in SHOOTING STARS, too. Josephine is paid to go into promi rehab to spy on Ned Hartnett. Take pictures of him and and so deliver the most exclusive and juciest story to a big gossip magazine. Now guess how's falling for that hot star?

The love story isn't that dominant though. SHOOTING STARS is further about Josephine finding out what's important in life and in how far her view of the thing she loves most, being a respected papparrazo, changes in the course of the story.

Also the rehab has to offer a few secondary characters that enrich the storyline. I enjoyed the mystery around Ned Hartnett's story and how his and Josephine's relationship changed over the stages of rehab. They do have a few very cute moments together that make you smile. But I would have wished for the romance to be a bit more encanced, the story to concentrate more on the romance than on the job at hand.

1) of its star appeal

2) of love in unexpected times

3) of a game to remember

4) of a cool Hollywood mystery

5) of its photography feature

3,5/5 ***/* SHOOTING STARS - Get ready for the hunt for the perfect shot. Celebrities, paparazzi business and Josphine Foster in the middle of a conflict between profit, privacy and an unexpected love. 

SHOOTING STARS didn't sweep me off my feet, it kept me reading though. I read the story in only a few hours and can recommend it to everyone who's looking for a short and sweet distraction. 

* Allison's written a lot of books so far, YA and chick-lit. Check them out here.

* Click here for an excerpt of SHOOTING STARS.

* Click here for Allison's travel memoir Keep Calm and Carry Vegemite.

* Visit www.allisonrushby.com for further information about Allison and her books.

* I'm sending out a great thank you down under, to Allison Rushby, for sending me a copy of her book when she was about to leave Great Britain and needed to get rid of a box full of lovely SHOOTING STARS copies. 

Teaser: Shift by Jeri Smith-Ready

Shift by Jeri Smith-Ready

"Who's taking you to the prom?" he said finally.
"No one's asked." No one I liked, at least.
"I asked you the day after Homecoming, remember?" He came to stand beside me. "Let's go together."
The idea should've made me laugh, but instead I wanted to cry at the memory of Homecoming. We thought we had all the time in the world together. Less than a week later, he was dead."

p. 13

New Releases: September 3rd - September 9th

September 4th


Tiger's Destiny (The Tiger Saga #4) by Colleen Houck 
Outpost (Razorland #2) by Ann Aguirre 
Shift by Kim Curran 
Carnival of Souls by Melissa Marr 
34 Pieces of You by Carmen Rodrigues 
Sweet Shadows (Medusa Girls #2) by Tera Lynn Childs 
Dead Is a Killer Tune (Dead Is #7) by Marlene Perez 
Fathomless (Fairytale Retellings #3) by Jackson Pearce 
Origin by Jessica Khoury
Island of Silence (The Unwanteds #2) by Lisa McMann
The Edge of Nowhere (Saratoga Woods #1) by Elizabeth George
The Map of The Sky (Triología Victorianna #2) by Félix J. Palma

Many new releases this week! What have you pre-ordered?

Book Review: Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson

Title: Second Chance Summer

Author: Morgan Matson

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children’s

Publishing Date: June 7^th 2012

Length: 480 pages

Keywords: YA, contemporary, romance, summer, lake house, friendship, family

Source: Publisher

From the Flying Start author of Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour, a powerful novel about hope in the face of heartbreak.

Taylor Edwards’ family might not be the closest-knit—everyone is a little too busy and overscheduled—but for the most part, they get along just fine. Then Taylor’s dad gets devastating news, and her parents decide that the family will spend one last summer all together at their old lake house in the Pocono Mountains.
Crammed into a place much smaller and more rustic than they are used to, they begin to get to know each other again. And Taylor discovers that the people she thought she had left behind haven’t actually gone anywhere. Her former best friend is still around, as is her first boyfriend…and he’s much cuter at seventeen than he was at twelve.
As the summer progresses and the Edwards become more of a family, they’re more aware than ever that they’re battling a ticking clock. Sometimes, though, there is just enough time to get a second chance—with family, with friends, and with love.

Summary by Goodreads 

Morgan Matson. A name that makes my ears perk up when it comes to talking books. The moment I hear about a new book by Morgan, I'm craving it already. That's because her stories make fantastic summer reads. But not only such that feel nice or easy. I appreciate summer reads that not only create a light and relaxed summery setting. Morgan's stories always offer a nutritious environment and a well-deserved but hard worked for chance for characters to grow, to deal with the heavy things, with emotional disturbances.  

In SECOND CHANCE SUMMER Morgan Matson tells the story of Taylor Edwards, whose family decides to return to their lake house after years. Some time has passed since Taylor's spent time at the lake with her old friends and there's still something of her past that she's afraid to face.

I immediately felt welcome to spend the summer with Taylor's family in their cabin. It's the first time her sister gets to visit the lake and make her very own experiences, finding new friends and simply having a blast. Taylor's brother is the funniest out of the five, always good for a crazy and funny surprise. Her parents are truly wonderful, always there for their children. I had a soft spot especially for Taylor's father, who is the best dad for his children one can think of.

SECOND CHANCE SUMMER wouldn't be the successful summer read it is if there wasn't also a sad side to the story. In the midst of the most important and wonderful summer of their life the family is hit by a stroke of fate and they have to find a way to bring back their ways that started growing apart.

The relationship between Taylor Edwards and childhood friend Henry is what kept me reading for hours. My mind was set on finding out what happened in their past and if they were able to find a way to come back together again now that they're more grown up. There are still a lot of confusional emotions swirling between them, but there's also a spark of hope that they are exaclty the right people to help each other in times of loss and hardships.

Returning to the cabin, Taylor must also face her former best girl friend and try to restore a friendship that she thought of as long lost. 

SECOND CHANCE SUMMER is majorly about friendship, love and family. Although the story presents us with several conflicts, the drama doesn't seem all too present or overdone. Morgan finds exactly the right way to tell Taylor's story about her second chance and what she's doing with it when her world appears to be breaking apart.  The motive of a second chance is huge in Morgan's second book. I just couldn't read it without spilling a few tears.

1) of a priceless guest appearance

2) of an exciting treehouse visit

3) of finding the right momentum
4) of a family that never gives up

5) of a night with the stars 

5/5 ***** SECOND CHANCE SUMMER - One of the warmest summer reads this year!

Do you know that comfortable fuzzy feeling a stunning and surprising book fills you with? SECOND CHANCE SUMMER left me with exactly this kind of feeling. It felt like Morgan Matson enclosed me into a comforting hug with every single new page, so warm and welcome did I feel in her story.

SECOND CHANCE SUMMER is filled to the brim with all the things summer: love, friends, family, sweet kisses, riding your bikes, ice cream, days at the lake, summer jobbing and the vast and wistful feeling that comes with each passing day of summer.

 

* If you liked SECOND CHANCE SUMMER you should definitely read Morgan's debut, AMY & ROGER'S EPIC DETOUR.

* Have a look inside SECOND CHANCE SUMMER.

* Scrapbook of Morgan's travel adventures

* For more information about Morgan and her books visit www.morganmatson.com

* Thanks to Simon & Schuster UK for sending me a copy of SECOND CHANCE SUMMER for review!