Upcoming reads: May 2014

In case your TBR pile wasn't massive enough. Here are some books that are due to be published in May. Some really promising ones here. 

The year she left us looks really interesting. I can't wait to read Corban Addison's new book as I loved A Walk Across the Sun. 

Goodreads Links:

Above the East China Sea
Suffer the Children
The Skin Collector
Wolf
The Year She Left Us
The Poor Man's Guide to Suicide
The Garden of Burning Sand
Love Me or Leave Me


What are you looking forward to reading in May? If you have any recommendations leave them in the comments!

Happy Reading  :)

Lets talk about pets!

This is a weekly blog meme hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read.

This weeks Question:

Do you have any pets? Tell us about them!

YES!!

I am a veterinary nurse (known as a vet tech in the US) so I spend most of my day around animals (large and small). Also have quite a few at home!

I have a Timneh African Grey called Lilo. She's 6 years old now. I adopted her about 5 years ago from someone who couldn't look after her any more. All my pets are rescues.  I make a point never to buy an animal while there are pets in shelters waiting for loving homes. 

 

 

I also have a dog who I adopted about a year ago. She was very badly abused. When I first brought her home she was terrified of every one and every thing! She's come out of her shell now and is such a happy little thing. Her name is Lulu. 

I also have two cats. The parrot is very brave when there is a window in front of her!

 

That's it! Can't wait to see everyone elses! 

As usual I am happy to follow back anyone who follows through this meme. I'd love it if you followed through GFC but any other way is fine. Just remember to tell me where you followed so I can return the favour.

Have a good weekend!

Blogger tip: Getting rid of Spam without Captcha

Captcha. It's the bain of my life. The one thing that really bugs me. The one thing that will stop me commenting on your blog.

There is nothing more frustrating than reading a really great blog post, typing out a thoughtful response only to a have Captcha pop up. Sometimes I type the damn words so many times before I just give up

Which has me wondering...

.....and leaves you with one less comment.

So you may be saying: " Well yeah great but I don't want spam all over my comments section"

Fear not, I have the answer.

1)Go to Blogger ---> Click on your blog name

2) Click on Settings

3) Click on posts and comments

4) Under who can comment click "registered user"

That's it. 

That simple task has eliminated 100% of spam from my blog without hindering genuine readers and comments.

A lot of people of people probably all ready know this but for those who don't , use it and then turn off Captcha! 

Feature and Follow Friday 18th April

Hosted by Parajunkee and Alison can Read.

This weeks Question:

Spring Break. Where would be your favorite destination spot if you could join the Spring Break festivities?

Answer:

I think when you leave school/college/university and start your working life spring break kinda looses it meaning. Mainly because it doesn't exist anymore! I have to work and that's it really.

However If I could be anywhere it would be right here at home. I just wish the weather was a little better. Its unpredictable most of the time here in Ireland but for the last few Easters it was really sunny. So far this year it's been rainy. Were all hoping its going to clear up though...so many BBQ's planned!

I want to wish all my readers a Happy Easter! Don't eat too much chocolate!

Here are some entertaining rabbits to get you in the mood:

 

 

As usual I am happy to follow back anyone who follows me through this Meme. Just let me know where/how you followed so I can return the favor.

City of Fate by Nicola Pierce

Published: February 2014

Publisher: The O'Brien Press

Format: Paperback

A review copy was provided by The O'Brien Press in return for an honest review.

If you read the blog regularly you'll know I don't read a lot of YA. It's not a case of snobbery. More a case of me feeling I cant really connect with the story or the characters. This was not the case here.

I love when YA books take on more difficult subjects like this. I hope that doesn't sound condescending because its not meant to be. I just feel that contemporary YA strikes more of a cord with me than fantasy or paranormal based YA. 

City of Fate is a story of we all deal with change, loss and our own (often flawed) perception of others. We meet Anton, Vlad and Leo as they are reluctantly led by their teacher to sign up to fight for their country. Like a hangman leading a prisoner to the noose he watches young boys (mere children really) sign what are, essentially their own death warrants. 

Feeling the need to appear braver than the masses Anton immediately takes the lead. Although he initially appears boorish and cocky he actually becomes the rock of the group, the voice of reason in chaos and the most courageous in times of fear. He turned out to be one of my favourite characters in the book .

On the other side of the city Yuri and Peter are alone in the world. They survive day by day on the scraps of war. They meet Tanya, a brave young woman who is determined to see life after this horrendous war that has torn her beloved city apart. Tanya is a completely selfless person she works, cares for her mother and thinks nothing of taking on two more mouths to feed. 

In this time of vulnerability they are all called to fulfil roles usually required by those beyond their years

Every character in City of Fate are is confronted by their own prejudices. They see themselves reflected in the actions of the "enemy" and they begin to see war in its simplest form: humans killing other humans. 

 The two groups meet in a heartbreaking conclusion in which there are no winners, only losers.

I don't want to stifle the reach of this book by saying it's perfect for younger readers because it really will appeal to readers of all ages. 

In conclusion City of Fate is an emotional story about what really makes us human. 

Rating: 

 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 

Adult Books for YA Readers

A lot of people tend to fit themselves into categories such as "Young Adult reader" or "New Adult reader" but what if as a reader you decide you'd like to change or branch out?

If you are a fan of YA books but feel that sometimes there is just something missing then why not think about expanding to adult fiction? You may find that next level of character and story development just a little more satisfying. I have chosen a list of 20 books that will help the transition from YA to Adult. I chose these books as they contain elements similar to a lot of YA books.

Here are Goodreads links to the above books:

Gretel and the Dark

Blindsighted

This House is Haunted

The Light Between Oceans

Joyland

Nineteen Minutes

Madame Tussaud

The Lovely Bones

Fractured

Half Seven on a Thursday

Room

Confessions of a Shopaholic

The Pact

Girl with a Pearl Earring

The Moment

Watch How We Walk

If you know of any more books that would suit this list leave them in the comment section below!

Feature & Follow Friday 11th April

Feature & Follow is a weekly meme hosted on friday by Parajunkee & Alison Can Read to gain new followers and make new friends!

This Weeks Question:

Tell us about a book that you didn't like and why we shouldn't read it…nicely.

My pick would have to be The Road by Cormac Mc Carthy

I should probably start by saying I haven't seen the film so it didn't influence my opinion of the book. People have raved about this book but I found it stilted and just utterly dull. I didn't like the short, cutting dialogue and one word answer. I felt like I couldn't really become invested in any of the characters so ultimately their fate really didn't interest me. 

I am happy to follow back anyone who follows me through this meme. Just let me know how and where you followed so I can return the favor.

Have a good weekend  

A Husbands Confession by Zoe Miller

Published: March 2014

Publisher: Hachette Ireland

Format: Paperback

Page count: 400

A Husbands Confession by Zoe Miller



My Rating:

A Husbands confession was provided by Hachette Ireland in return for an honest review 

A husbands confession is a story filled with passion romance and betrayal

The story centres around two families and their brothers. For Finn and Joe the move to Ireland will be a fresh start after their whirlwind romance and marriage. With the fresh start comes exciting new opportunities for both of them. Advertising for Joe and Finn is making a name for himself in television.

For the other couple, Ali and Max it seems like all their dreams are coming true, in the form of a successful bakery. 

However things start to take a turn for the worse. Finn is shattered when he loses his role in a gritty crime drama. He becomes so unhappy that Joe begins to fear for him and the state of their marriage.]

At the same time things also go downward for Ali and Max. An accident at the bakery shocks them both to the core. The brothers have never gotten on well and the blame is laid Finns doorstep.

The writing here was really excellent.I could really feel the simmering tensions between the two families as the accusations fly back and forth. The secrets that were once buried deep are slowly brought to the surface. It really drew me in and compelled me to keep turning the pages.

As both families discover unknown truths, feeling of love and trust are really tested. Can they over come these revelations? You'll have to read to find out!

I loved the fact that A husbands confession wasn't just your average romance novel. It was full of drama and really kept me hooked. I'm finding it hard to think of anyone who wouldn't enjoy this book. Zoe Miller is certainly going on my "one to watch" list.

Rating:

★ ★ ★  ★ ☆

The rose Garden by Marita Conlon McKenna

Format: Paperback

Published: June 2013

Publisher: Transworld

The rose Garden was provided by Gill Hess Ltd in return for an honest review

The rose Garden is a wonderful story about holding on the memories of the ones we love.

Molly is heartbroken after the loss of her husband and now she has to deal with task of keeping up appearances in the sprawling country manner that the two of them once called home. With a growing estate and dwindling finances Molly desperately needs to find a way of making some money if she wants to keep her home.

In the shadows of the old estate she finds an old, wild rose garden. She decides to return it it to its former glory and open it to the public in the hopes that it will become a source of income.

As new life blooms in the garden, so do new friendships. Like the vines within the gardens their lives become woven together to create strong ties of love and friendship. For Kim Mossbaun becomes a haven from the cold ending of her previous relationship. The garden is the source of hope within the the story. It helps heal all those who seem to be suffering from some type of loss.

Living in a small Irish town means I could really relate to this story and the "everyone knows everyone" type of situation. If a stranger does happen to stop by you can be guaranteed that they won't be a stranger by the end of the day. God that sounds so cheesy but its true!

The Rose Garden was a wonderfully uplifting read. All that we need to grow, is hope, love and friendship. A perfect read now that we are heading into spring.

Rating:

★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

The Sunday Post 6/4/14

This is is Meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer and here are the rules.

Last week I reviewed: 

Click on the covers to read the reviews.

I Discussed:

To celebrate Mothers Day I discussed some of the most inspirational mothers in fiction

Received for review:

Other news: 

If you hadn't noticed...I have a new blog design. I'm loving it. It looks so much more professional than my crappy Photoshop attempts. I'd love to get some reader feedback! 

The clock have gone forward an hour which means longer evenings and mayhem at work! I am finding that I have very little time left in the day to sit down with a book :( . I always find it harder to sit inside reading when its nice outside.

Have a good week! 

The Son in Law by Charity Norman

Format: Paperback

Published: March 2014

Publisher: A&U

The Son in law was provided through Gill Hess Ltd in return for an honest review

The Son in Law is a highly charged emotional read that will grip you from the beginning and stay with you long after you turn the final page

In the heat of the moment Joseph cracks. That single moment, that single crack in time, changes his life beyond recognition. His wife is dead. Is he at fault? Yes, but is he a murderer? As Far as Frederick and Hannah are concerned he is guilty and should pay the price. At this point in time I was tending to side with the grandparents. However as the story moves on we realise that the situation is not so black and white.

This book makes quite big jumps in time. I found this quite a brave move. Other authors tend to fill in blanks and gaps when it really isn't necessary. The next time we meet Joseph is 3 years later when he is leaving prison. His only wish is to be reunited with his children and to tell the story from his side. Hannah and Frederick are the only ones standing in his way. There hate runs deep and has even filtered down to some of the children, even to the youngest who remembers nothing and has to rely on what she was told by her grandparents.

As the story moves on and we learn about the events that led to that fateful night I found my sympathies altering a little. We learn more about Zoe and her struggles with her mental health. It makes you really question the meaning of guilt.

Ultimately The Son in Law is isn't about death, but rather how families ties can allow us to forgive acts that would think are unforgivable. 

If your a fan of intense courtroom drama's and are already a fan of Jodi Picoult I would certainly recommend that you pick up The Son in Law 

Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆