Review: Claiming The Highlander’s Heart

★★/ 5

Author: Jacqui Castle

Genre: Romance, Historical Romance
Buy Links: Amazon , Book Depository



Description:



Georgina Townsend has never behaved like a “proper” lady. Her family accuses her of being impulsive, sometimes to the point of recklessness. And they must be right. Because when a band of Highland outlaws steals Georgina’s late mother’s music box, instead of letting the proper authorities take care of the matter, she disguises herself as a Highland lass and joins the group of outlaws to find the stolen item. She certainly doesn’t plan on falling for their charming leader…

Malcolm Stewart has never met a more bold and captivating woman than the mysterious lass who suddenly shows up to join his small band of outlaws. But while she fits in easily, she’s more distracting than he expected. When he returned from the war to find his life destroyed, Mal decided to get revenge on the Highland landlords, whom he blames for the death of his family. Falling in love isn’t part of that plan—especially not with the sister of one of the very landlords he’s sworn to fight against.

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Review: The Seclusion

★★★/ 5

Author: Jacqui Castle

Genre: YA, Science Fiction, Dystopia
Buy Links: Amazon , Book Depository

MVP: Rexx

Description:

In the year 2090, America has walled itself off from the rest of the world. When her father is arrested by the totalitarian Board, a young woman sets out to escape the only country she’s ever known.
While on a routine assignment scouting the viability of dwindling natural resources outside the massive urban centers most American citizens call home, Patricia ’Patch’ and her co-worker Rexx discover a relic from the past containing dangerous contraband―unedited books from before The Seclusion. These texts will spark an unquenchable thirst for the truth that sees Patch’s father arrested by the totalitarian Board.

Evading her own arrest, Patch and Rexx set out across a ruined future United States, seeking some way to escape the only home they’ve ever known. Along the way, they learn about how their country came to be this way and fall in love. But their newfound knowledge may lead to their own demise.

Review: Jinxed

★★★★★/ 5


Author: Amy McCulloch
Genre: YA, SciFi
Buy Links: Amazon, Book Depository

Release Date: 9th Aug, 2018
MVP: Jinx

Description:
Lacey Chu has big dreams of becoming a companioneer for MONCHA, the largest tech firm in North America and the company behind the  “baku” – a customisable smart pet that functions as a phone but makes the perfect companion too. When Lacey finds out she hasn’t been accepted into Profectus – the elite academy for cutting edge tech – it seems her dreams are over. Worst of all, rather than getting to choose one of the advanced bakus, she’s stuck with a rubbish insect one.

Then, one night, Lacey comes across the remains of an advanced baku. Once it might’ve been in the shape of a cat but it’s now mangled and broken, no sign of electronic life behind its eyes. Days of work later and the baku opens its eyes. Lacey calls him Jinx – and Jinx opens up a world for her that she never even knew existed, including entry to the hallowed halls of Profecus. Slowly but surely, Jinx becomes more than just a baku to Lacey – he becomes her perfect companion. But what is Jinx, really? His abilities far surpass anything written into his code or built into his motherboard. He seems to be more than just a robotic pet. He seems … real.

Review: Echoes

★★★/ 5


Author: Alice Reeds
Genre: YA, Mystery, Thriller
Buy Links: Amazon, Book Depository

Release Date: 14th Aug, 2018
MVP: Fiona Wolf

Description:
They wake on a deserted island. Fiona and Miles, high school enemies now stranded together. No memory of how they got there. No plan to follow, no hope to hold on to.

Each step forward reveals the mystery behind the forces that brought them here. And soon, the most chilling discovery: something else is on the island with them.

Something that won’t let them leave alive.

Echoes is a thrilling adventure about confronting the impossible, discovering love in the most unexpected places, and, above all, finding hope in the face of the unknown.

Review: A Superior Spectre

★★★/ 5

Author: Angela Meyer
Genre: Science Fiction, Literary fiction
Buy Links: Amazon , Book Depository
MVP: Leonara

Description:
Jeff is dying. Haunted by memories and grappling with the shame of his desires, he runs away to remote Scotland with a piece of experimental tech that allows him to enter the mind of someone in the past. Instructed to only use it three times, Jeff – self-indulgent, isolated and deteriorating – ignores this advice.

In the late 1860s, Leonora lives a contented life in the Scottish Highlands, surrounded by nature, her hands and mind kept busy. Contemplating her future and the social conventions that bind her, a secret romantic friendship with the local laird is interrupted when her father sends her to stay with her aunt in Edinburgh – an intimidating, sooty city; the place where her mother perished.

But Leonora’s ability to embrace her new life is shadowed by a dark presence that begins to lurk behind her eyes, and strange visions that bear no resemblance to anything she has ever seen or known…

A Superior Spectre is a highly accomplished debut novel about our capacity for curiosity, and our dangerous entitlement to it, and reminds us the scariest ghosts aren’t those that go bump in the night, but those that are born and create a place for themselves in the human soul.

The TBR Purge – Part 2

The Creeping by Alexandra Sirowy
Year Added: 2016
Initial Interests: Creeping but beautiful looking cover. Spooky mystery book.
Action:  Trash
Reason: Upon reading more of the summary it doesn’t sound appealing. I remember adding it after seeing a TV show called ‘The Kettering Incident‘ (omg so spooky – series Xfiles vibes), and it sounded similar. When I read the sample chapter I realized it wasn’t the same and it didn’t appeal to me as much.

The Diabolic by S.J.Kincaid
Year Added: 2016
Initial Interests: Booktuber Regan raved about it. Also, stunning cover
Action:  Keep
Reason: It took me a while to decide whether to keep this one on my list. On the one hand the cover is still stunning and would look great on my book shelf and I love scifi books. On the other hand it looks quite thick and the summary doesn’t sound as appealing anymore. Regan recently read the second book and raved about that too, so maybe it’s worth keeping and giving it a go.

The Black Prism (#1) by Brent Weeks
Year Added: 2016
Initial Interests: Another Regan recommends and entered book competition
Action:  Trash
Reason: Yeah, I’ve lost all interest in this book. I love a good magic system but upon re-reading the synopsis I’m a little bored.

The Book of Speculation by Erika Swyler
Year Added: 2016
Initial Interests: Mysterious book + a story about a librarian – okay!!!
Action:  Keep
Reason: I think this one was a GR recommends and when I saw it involved a librarian and a mysterious book I thought, ‘That’s the book for me’. Given that it’s told from a males perspective I thought i’d still give it a go. It’s sounds pretty cool, but I’ve heard no one talk about it. That doesn’t always mean it’s a bad book – there is so much out there – so I think I will keep this one on.

Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Year Added: 2016
Initial Interests: I was on a scifi kick after reading Illuminae
Action:  Trash
Reason: This got super high ratings on GR but no one on my friends list has read it. I’m thinking about downloading a sample chapter to make up my mind. I’ll trash it for now but if I like the sample I will add it back. I think I would have to be in a space/sci-fi mood though.

13 Minutes by Sarah Pinborough
Year Added: 2016
Initial Interests: Popular girl nearly dies from a drowning that she suspects was intentional.
Action:  Trash
Reason: This was a competition entry and was after I had watched 13 Reasons Why. I was on a bit of a high school murder kick and added it without reading much. I think I’ll trash it because it does sound a bit like netflix show Riverdale and I wasn’t real into that.

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
Year Added: 2016
Initial Interests: So many people rave about it.
Action:  Keep
Reason: I’ve wanted to read something written by Tahereh Mafi for ages and this seems like a good book of hers to start with as everyone seems to have read it. The synopsis kind reminds me of Rogue’s backstory from Xmen and I loved her character. So it’s a pretty safe bet I will enjoy this one.

Angelfall by Susan Ee
Year Added: 2016
Initial Interests: It has Angels in it.
Action:  Keep
Reason: One of my favorite story lines ever introduced to the show Supernatural was about Castiel. I have been interested in Angels ever since I was a kid and I love reading all kinds of stories about them. I’ve read some good YA Angel stories and some not so great ones. I don’t think I have any other Angel books in my TBR so i’ll keep this one on for when I’m in that kind of a mood.

Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth
Year Added: 2016
Initial Interests: Booktube recommendation.
Action:  Keep
Reason: This has been on and off my wishlist for a while. The cover looks super interesting and includes it’s own magic system. With a brother/sister dynamic I thought it sounded pretty cool – but I’m still unsure about it. It’s not on the top of my priorities to read, but I think it’s one of those ones that I will eventually get around to.

Red Vengeance (#2) by Margaret Stohl
Year Added: 2016
Initial Interests: I’m trash for anything Black Widow and I loved the first one
Action:  Keep
Reason: I absolutely loved the first book despite the fact that the book doesn’t actually revolve around just the Black Widow’s Red Room days. I plowed through the first one so I will keep this one because a)it will go nicely on the shelf with my collection of Black Widow comics and books and b) because I love Margaret’s writing style.

The Cresswell Plot by Eliza Wass
Year Added: 2016
Initial Interests: Strict Godfearing father keeps his daughters locked up and one fights back
Action:  Keep
Reason: I love a good True Crime story and despite this being fiction it sounded like it was based off a true crime story. I struggled with the decision to keep this one. I don’t think I have time for it right now, but I want to read it to see how it will end. Plus a blogger I love raved about it so that’s another reason.

My Best Friend’s Exorcism by Grady Hendrix
Year Added: 2016
Initial Interests: Exorcism – for days when I feel like reading something scary
Action:  Keep
Reason: There’s nothing I love more than curling up on a monday night and watching Ghost Adventures under a blanket with my mum. It’s our favorite mother/daughter activity and despite the fact that demon stuff scares me I think this might be a good halloween read.

Jim Henson’s Labyrinth: The Novelisation by Jim Henson
Year Added: 2016
Initial Interests: I am TRASH for The Labyrinth
Action:  Keep
Reason: This is purely an indulgent book collection addition. I grew up with the movie The Labyrinth and as such would love to have this book on my bookshelf. A friend of mine has it and it looks glorious!

A book of Spirits and Thieves (#1) by Morgan Rhodes
Year Added: 2016
Initial Interests: It looked like a combination of Assassin’s Creed and The Magician
Action:  Trash
Reason: I added this because I thought my brother would like it. He had just let me borrow of his copy of The Magician and this book looked really similar. However I’m still live four book deep in that series and there is like a million to go so I don’t think I will bother with this one.

Falling Kingdoms (#1) by Morgan Rhodes
Year Added: 2016
Initial Interests: see above
Action:  Trash
Reason: see above

This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab
Year Added: 2016
Initial Interests: Booktubers are going crazy over this book
Action:  Trash
Reason: Look, you know how sometimes there are books that everyone raves about but you just don’t see the appeal? This is one of them. Everyone from bloggers to booktubers rave about this book and as much as I want to read something by Victoria Schwab this kinda sounds boring. I’m not super into music and I think that’s why I’m not into this book.

More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera
Year Added: 2016
Initial Interests: Two words: Adam Silvera. Also memory wiping.
Action:  Keep
Reason: It’s been said that this book is similar to Eternal Sunshine on a Spotless Mind (which I LOVED). I have a love/hate relationship with memory wiping. On the one hand wouldn’t it be great to delete awful memories, but on the other hand, aren’t our memories what shape and define us? This is why I want to read this book. I love books that make you think.

Forgive Me, Leonard Peakcock by Matthew Quick
Year Added: 2016
Initial Interests: Interesting name and booktuber recommendation
Action:  Keep
Reason: This sounds like a compelling read about a boy who kills his classmates or at least plans to. I don’t know what has happened to brought him here, but the in training psychologist in me is intrigued by the thought process.

The End or Something Like That by Ann Dee Ellis
Year Added: 2016
Initial Interests: Ghost BFFs
Action:  Keep
Reason: It sounds a little like The Lovely Bones, which I love and had reread multiple times. The idea that the main character and her best friend planned how they would meet in the afterlife and that hasn’t happened yet really captured my attention.

Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel
Year Added: 2016
Initial Interests: Hidden machines in the earth – possible aliens?
Action:  Keep
Reason: I have been dying to read this one and apparently it’s even better on audio so I’m hoping to buy both at some point (or borrow from the library). I’ve heard that the sequel is even better so I’m super keen to find out what this is all about. The buried machines parts in the earth reminds me of the heads at Easter Island.

 

So that’s it for this month. Looking back I’m a little concerned that I didn’t cull that many, but at least some is better than none right?? Right???? 😛

Do you agree with my list? What have you trashed from your TBR pile recently?

Review: Warcross (#1)

★★★★★/ 5

Author: Marie Lu
Genre: YA, Science Fiction
Buy Links: Amazon , Book Depository
MVP: Emika Chen

Description:

 For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn’t just a game—it’s a way of life. The obsession started ten years ago and its fan base now spans the globe, some eager to escape from reality and others hoping to make a profit. Struggling to make ends meet, teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down players who bet on the game illegally. But the bounty hunting world is a competitive one, and survival has not been easy. Needing to make some quick cash, Emika takes a risk and hacks into the opening game of the international Warcross Championships—only to accidentally glitch herself into the action and become an overnight sensation.

Convinced she’s going to be arrested, Emika is shocked when instead she gets a call from the game’s creator, the elusive young billionaire Hideo Tanaka, with an irresistible offer. He needs a spy on the inside of this year’s tournament in order to uncover a security problem . . . and he wants Emika for the job. With no time to lose, Emika’s whisked off to Tokyo and thrust into a world of fame and fortune that she’s only dreamed of. But soon her investigation uncovers a sinister plot, with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire.