It’s 1923 and London is a whirl of jazz, dancing and parties. Violet, Daisy, Poppy and Rose Derrington are desperate to be part of it, but stuck in an enormous crumbling house in the country, with no money and no fashionable dresses, the excitement seems a lifetime away.
Luckily the girls each have a plan for escaping their humdrum country life: Rose wants to be a novelist, Poppy a jazz musician and Daisy a famous film director. Violet, however, has only one ambition: to become the perfect Debutante, so that she can go to London and catch the eye of Prince George, the most eligible bachelor in the country.
But a house as big and old as Beech Grove Manor hides many secrets, and Daisy is about to uncover one so huge it could ruin all their plans—ruin everything—forever.
Cora Harrison has once again sucked me into the past with the worlds she creates in her novels. It was a stunning read, the writing was brilliant and the detail and fact were flawless!
An enjoyable delightful story, the characters were engaging and I soon was enthralled with them!
My only niggle was that it seemed a little young for me but that's not really a problem, just I know who to recommend it too!
Brilliant read!
JB xxx
Confessions Of A Teenager
A place where I can talk and squeal about everything I love...ALL THE TIME and I talk A LOT...just so you know
Tuesday 28 August 2012
The end is most definitely nigh...
Stand by as Riley prepares to kick some serious demon butt for the last time in this thrilling, dramatic and sexy conclusion to The Demon Trappers series.
Riley’s always known that Beck had a chequered history, but she’s not prepared for what it actually means to be in love with a guy with this many dark secrets. Now that he’s finally admitted to himself that he’s in love with her too, there’s no more hiding the truth about his past. And as it turns out, fending off a demon apocalypse is nothing compared to what’s to come...
As per usual, Jana Oliver has kicked ass with her AMAZING finale to the Demon Trappers Series.
I love how this book focused more on the relationship between her and you know who, and how they fought to the end! I also enjoyed seeing how things had changed because of how Riley dealt with things in the last book
Writing was, as always, brilliant and easily accessible, the story was unputdownable and the characters, well I've been in love with most of them for a long time, and have watched them grow and learn, so I was sad to see it ending but still loved it!
Great read, read it in a day, and totally recommend the entire series to everyone!
Lots of Love
JB xx
Thursday 19 July 2012
Their love could last forever, if it doesn't destroy them first...
HEY GUYS!
Sorry it's been so long, exams and coursework and end of year blah is quite simply agony! So, here is my review of DREAMLESS, the sequel to Josephine Angelini's wonderful debut novel STARCROSSED.
Blurb:
Heartbroken, and forbidden from being with Lucas, Helen has been tasked with breaking the curse that keeps them apart by killing the Furies. She spends her nights wandering the Underworld in search of them and, tormented by her worst nightmares made real, she's beginning to suffer from extreme exhaustion on top of her heartbreak. One night, Helen , meets another person down in the shadowy Underworld: Orion, descended from Adonis and with the power to control desire. Still in love with Lucas but drawn to this seductive stranger, Helen must make a choice that could save her life but break her heart...
OH WHAT A FABULOUS ONE! The second in a trilogy, DREAMLESS has just made me more eager for GODDESS (the third) to hurry up and arrive so I can find out what happens!!
STARCROSSED frustrated me because there were no answers, and it was TORTURE. A good book, but torture, because there were no answers. But after reading DREAMLESS I realised, they are slow burning books, well written, to make you think things through and turn each page faster, desperate to find the answer. AND I LOVE IT! However, I also hate it, because now I have to wait an undetermined amount of time for GODDESS to come out :-( super excited though.
DREAMLESS was well written, fast paced and exciting throughout, I couldn't put it down. Angelini has done it again!
Thoroughly enjoyed it, cannot wait for GODDESS and you guys should all go and read this!
MUCH LOVE,
JB xxxx
Sorry it's been so long, exams and coursework and end of year blah is quite simply agony! So, here is my review of DREAMLESS, the sequel to Josephine Angelini's wonderful debut novel STARCROSSED.
Blurb:
Heartbroken, and forbidden from being with Lucas, Helen has been tasked with breaking the curse that keeps them apart by killing the Furies. She spends her nights wandering the Underworld in search of them and, tormented by her worst nightmares made real, she's beginning to suffer from extreme exhaustion on top of her heartbreak. One night, Helen , meets another person down in the shadowy Underworld: Orion, descended from Adonis and with the power to control desire. Still in love with Lucas but drawn to this seductive stranger, Helen must make a choice that could save her life but break her heart...
OH WHAT A FABULOUS ONE! The second in a trilogy, DREAMLESS has just made me more eager for GODDESS (the third) to hurry up and arrive so I can find out what happens!!
STARCROSSED frustrated me because there were no answers, and it was TORTURE. A good book, but torture, because there were no answers. But after reading DREAMLESS I realised, they are slow burning books, well written, to make you think things through and turn each page faster, desperate to find the answer. AND I LOVE IT! However, I also hate it, because now I have to wait an undetermined amount of time for GODDESS to come out :-( super excited though.
DREAMLESS was well written, fast paced and exciting throughout, I couldn't put it down. Angelini has done it again!
Thoroughly enjoyed it, cannot wait for GODDESS and you guys should all go and read this!
MUCH LOVE,
JB xxxx
Thursday 12 April 2012
For Anya, Love will become a life or death choice...
BR - All These Things I've Done - Gabrielle Zevin
New York 2082. When Anya is arrested for attempted murder, the District Attorney offers her a choice: stay away from his son or watch helplessly as he destroys her family. It should be a straightforward decision. Except that the DA's son is the boy Anya loves, and her family is at the dark heart of the city's criminal underworld.
Anya must choose between love and loyalty, knowing that whatever she decides will have shattering consequences: heartbreak or a gangland war that will tear the city apart.
Ohmygoodness. What a choice eh Anya?
It was a classic star crossed lovers tale, parents trying to keep two crazy kids from two seperate worlds apart. It was a great plot, kept me interested, so interested in fact that I read it in a day! It was easy to read, and I enjoyed Anya's narration, was easy to connect with which allowed me to go into the story even deeper.
The love interest, in my opinion, wasn't up to much, He was a bit average. At times there was a flash of brillance and he was fab, but then all the rest of the times I didn't find him engaging BUT the host of supporting characters made up for that. I loved them all, especially the ones involved in the family 'business'. Well all but one, but I can't tell you who or why because it will spoil the plot!
Great book, fabulous writing style and wonderful characters, but the ending...well! All I can say is thank god it is a trilogy!!!!!
Go out, buy it, read it, love it.
JB xxx
New York 2082. When Anya is arrested for attempted murder, the District Attorney offers her a choice: stay away from his son or watch helplessly as he destroys her family. It should be a straightforward decision. Except that the DA's son is the boy Anya loves, and her family is at the dark heart of the city's criminal underworld.
Anya must choose between love and loyalty, knowing that whatever she decides will have shattering consequences: heartbreak or a gangland war that will tear the city apart.
Ohmygoodness. What a choice eh Anya?
It was a classic star crossed lovers tale, parents trying to keep two crazy kids from two seperate worlds apart. It was a great plot, kept me interested, so interested in fact that I read it in a day! It was easy to read, and I enjoyed Anya's narration, was easy to connect with which allowed me to go into the story even deeper.
The love interest, in my opinion, wasn't up to much, He was a bit average. At times there was a flash of brillance and he was fab, but then all the rest of the times I didn't find him engaging BUT the host of supporting characters made up for that. I loved them all, especially the ones involved in the family 'business'. Well all but one, but I can't tell you who or why because it will spoil the plot!
Great book, fabulous writing style and wonderful characters, but the ending...well! All I can say is thank god it is a trilogy!!!!!
Go out, buy it, read it, love it.
JB xxx
Thursday 5 April 2012
Jasmine Skies BR
'Everything I was before, all the forever-things, are slipping away from me here under Jasmine Skies'
Sorry guys, I'm being a mega bad blogger at the moment :'( I'll make it up to you at some point but ALEVELS are hard :-/
Ok so Jasmine Skies:
It was such good escapism, and was so much better (for me) than Artichoke Hearts because Mira was older and I could connect with her better. Also she was experiencing something I've experienced (admittedly not in the same country but I would love to visit India one day) and I felt like I understood her and just wanted to hug her the whole time. Brilliant read, great characters and a flowing plot written in a wonderful style. Just what I needed to freshen my brain from all that revision!
Nice book, lovely story, however one criticism is I so didn't feel the whole romance thing that Sita tried to go on, it felt forced and rushed but thats just my opinion, without that it would have been a great book...and with it, its still a great book!
SO go out and grab it off the shelves my dearies because it is a brilliant read for sitting inside cuddling up to a fire (or radiator!) or for lounging on a beach in the sun...fabulous!!
Much love
JB xx
Sorry guys, I'm being a mega bad blogger at the moment :'( I'll make it up to you at some point but ALEVELS are hard :-/
Ok so Jasmine Skies:
It was such good escapism, and was so much better (for me) than Artichoke Hearts because Mira was older and I could connect with her better. Also she was experiencing something I've experienced (admittedly not in the same country but I would love to visit India one day) and I felt like I understood her and just wanted to hug her the whole time. Brilliant read, great characters and a flowing plot written in a wonderful style. Just what I needed to freshen my brain from all that revision!
Nice book, lovely story, however one criticism is I so didn't feel the whole romance thing that Sita tried to go on, it felt forced and rushed but thats just my opinion, without that it would have been a great book...and with it, its still a great book!
SO go out and grab it off the shelves my dearies because it is a brilliant read for sitting inside cuddling up to a fire (or radiator!) or for lounging on a beach in the sun...fabulous!!
Much love
JB xx
Sunday 26 February 2012
Heaven help you if you've lost your heart to hell...
BR - Forgiven: The Demon Trapper Series - Jana Oliver
**SPOILER ALERT **
I suggest you get your ass to the first book in the series - Forsaken, because this is the third one and it could potentially ruin the first two for you....
Don't say I didn't warn you...
The stakes are high when you bet on your soul....
Hell's finest are ruling the streets and it seems that Armageddon might be even closer than Riley Blackthorne imagined. But with her soul and her heart in play it's all she can do to keep herself alive, let alone save the world. Riley's not afraid of kicking some major demon butt, but when it comes to a battle between Heaven and Hell, she might need a little help...
OH MY GOODNESS! I squealed with joy when this was pushed through my letterbox by the wonderful postman! HUGE thanks to My Kinda Book and Macmillan Publishers for letting me discover this amazing series!
Jana once again sucked me into the world of Atlanta in 2018...I freaking love this place, wish I never had to leave! Her writing is fabulous, it flows and brings the story to your lap.
The characters again are believable and lovable, particularly a Mr Beck...ooh he can burst out of the book into my bedroom at ANY time ;-)
The twists and turns made it impossible to put down and I finished it within a day...non-stop reading, that's how good it was!
There better be more to this series, specially after that ending!! Go out and buy it guys, you'll regret it if you don't!!
Best one so far in my opinion, lots of love for Jana Oliver!!!
JB xxxx
**SPOILER ALERT **
I suggest you get your ass to the first book in the series - Forsaken, because this is the third one and it could potentially ruin the first two for you....
Don't say I didn't warn you...
The stakes are high when you bet on your soul....
Hell's finest are ruling the streets and it seems that Armageddon might be even closer than Riley Blackthorne imagined. But with her soul and her heart in play it's all she can do to keep herself alive, let alone save the world. Riley's not afraid of kicking some major demon butt, but when it comes to a battle between Heaven and Hell, she might need a little help...
OH MY GOODNESS! I squealed with joy when this was pushed through my letterbox by the wonderful postman! HUGE thanks to My Kinda Book and Macmillan Publishers for letting me discover this amazing series!
Jana once again sucked me into the world of Atlanta in 2018...I freaking love this place, wish I never had to leave! Her writing is fabulous, it flows and brings the story to your lap.
The characters again are believable and lovable, particularly a Mr Beck...ooh he can burst out of the book into my bedroom at ANY time ;-)
The twists and turns made it impossible to put down and I finished it within a day...non-stop reading, that's how good it was!
There better be more to this series, specially after that ending!! Go out and buy it guys, you'll regret it if you don't!!
Best one so far in my opinion, lots of love for Jana Oliver!!!
JB xxxx
Saturday 18 February 2012
After The Snow - BR
Dad gone. Magda gone. The others gone. But I don't know why. Tell me, Dog - what am I gonna do?
Willo is a straggler kid living in the dangerous and barren landscape of a new ice age
Coming home after a day of trapping hares on the snowy moutainside he discovers that his entire family is gone. And after one night in the empty house he knos they are not coming back. Isolated and at risk Willo loads up his sledge and embraks on a terrifying, freezing journey of survival. The dog spirit inside his head is his guide and his only companion.
Prepare to have your bones chilled and your breath taken away as time and time again Willo is forced to question everything he knows
Hmmm.... It was an interesting read. When I started it I hated it. Could barely bring myself to read it. I hated it because it wasn't written in good English. It annoyed me, because I detest the using 'MSN/Facebook etc language where people cannot seem to write in the English Language, and that was how this book was written HOWEVER, I soldiered on because I have never not finished a book. Even if I hate it, I continue to read it because I'm scared of missing out, what if after I put it down, the story becomes amazing and I missed that?! Anyway, after I had continued to read on the story got interesting and I got used to the way it was written.
It is Crockett's version of the future, what will happen because of Global Warming. I thought it was fascinating! The way the world was just enchanted me! However I wish it had been explained more, but a child was the narrator and it maybe that he didn't understand why the world was like this, because it was all he'd ever known, and maybe it was supposed to make us think and guess at why.
The rough and ready way people were and the fight for survival was brilliant, all in all it was a great story. Some twists and turns I found slightly predictable but that's because I'm a cynic, and an avid reader so it would be expected that they seem obvious to me! The ending, irritated me slightly. It felt rushed and unfinished, to my tastes but others may see it as the appropriate ending for such a story.
It is a brilliant read, once I got past the irritating english and I cannot wait to see what S.D. Crockett brings to the world of literature next!
JB xx
Willo is a straggler kid living in the dangerous and barren landscape of a new ice age
Coming home after a day of trapping hares on the snowy moutainside he discovers that his entire family is gone. And after one night in the empty house he knos they are not coming back. Isolated and at risk Willo loads up his sledge and embraks on a terrifying, freezing journey of survival. The dog spirit inside his head is his guide and his only companion.
Prepare to have your bones chilled and your breath taken away as time and time again Willo is forced to question everything he knows
Hmmm.... It was an interesting read. When I started it I hated it. Could barely bring myself to read it. I hated it because it wasn't written in good English. It annoyed me, because I detest the using 'MSN/Facebook etc language where people cannot seem to write in the English Language, and that was how this book was written HOWEVER, I soldiered on because I have never not finished a book. Even if I hate it, I continue to read it because I'm scared of missing out, what if after I put it down, the story becomes amazing and I missed that?! Anyway, after I had continued to read on the story got interesting and I got used to the way it was written.
It is Crockett's version of the future, what will happen because of Global Warming. I thought it was fascinating! The way the world was just enchanted me! However I wish it had been explained more, but a child was the narrator and it maybe that he didn't understand why the world was like this, because it was all he'd ever known, and maybe it was supposed to make us think and guess at why.
The rough and ready way people were and the fight for survival was brilliant, all in all it was a great story. Some twists and turns I found slightly predictable but that's because I'm a cynic, and an avid reader so it would be expected that they seem obvious to me! The ending, irritated me slightly. It felt rushed and unfinished, to my tastes but others may see it as the appropriate ending for such a story.
It is a brilliant read, once I got past the irritating english and I cannot wait to see what S.D. Crockett brings to the world of literature next!
JB xx
Thursday 22 December 2011
Time Will Tear Them Apart..
Tempest - Julie Cross
'A booming sound rang in my ears, followed by Holly's scream. Then everything seemed to stop - my heart, my breath...time'
Jackson has a secret - he can jump into his own past. But when a shocking event propels him further back in time than he has ever been before - he finds he can't return.
Now Jackson has to find a way to save the girl he loves before they have even met, and time is not on his side...
Hm. Hmmmmm. Hmmmmmmmmm. I finished this book at 5pm today. It is now 9pm and I still cannot think of what to write! Yes it was a book about time travel, including a fit boy and love interest. Yes it was a complex plot that made you think. But I still don't know what to say...
The characters, Holly, Adam and MC Jackson were wonderful. Lovely people, so glad I met them. The idea of the story was great. maybe too much information all smushed into one story? Too many twists and turns to keep track of? That's just my opinion obviously.
It made me cry, and the ending left me heartbroken so that is a good sign....I just don't think its sunk in yet!
I can't really find anything to criticise except too many twists and turns, but again thats just my opinion. Also the time travelly science bit, wasn't explained to well for me...but I'm dumb and need things spelling out for me!
It was good, made me cry, made my heart break, made me laugh out loud and made me swoon in places. Read it :-)
Much love
JB xxxx
'A booming sound rang in my ears, followed by Holly's scream. Then everything seemed to stop - my heart, my breath...time'
Jackson has a secret - he can jump into his own past. But when a shocking event propels him further back in time than he has ever been before - he finds he can't return.
Now Jackson has to find a way to save the girl he loves before they have even met, and time is not on his side...
Hm. Hmmmmm. Hmmmmmmmmm. I finished this book at 5pm today. It is now 9pm and I still cannot think of what to write! Yes it was a book about time travel, including a fit boy and love interest. Yes it was a complex plot that made you think. But I still don't know what to say...
The characters, Holly, Adam and MC Jackson were wonderful. Lovely people, so glad I met them. The idea of the story was great. maybe too much information all smushed into one story? Too many twists and turns to keep track of? That's just my opinion obviously.
It made me cry, and the ending left me heartbroken so that is a good sign....I just don't think its sunk in yet!
I can't really find anything to criticise except too many twists and turns, but again thats just my opinion. Also the time travelly science bit, wasn't explained to well for me...but I'm dumb and need things spelling out for me!
It was good, made me cry, made my heart break, made me laugh out loud and made me swoon in places. Read it :-)
Much love
JB xxxx
Friday 18 November 2011
Forever - Judy Blume
Forever by Judy Blume.
It was first published in 1975 and was banned from most libraries and parents didn't allow their children to read it due to the obscene sexual content....that 'obscene sexual content' is now the basics that almost every 13 year old knows, or thinks they know. It just goes to show how life changes between the first copy being published and the recent rerelease of the book today. Katherine is an 17/18 year old in America, at school and the book mainly focuses on her relationship with a boy she meets at a New Years Party.
The meeting, and getting together of the couple, in my opinion was ridiculously rushed, but thinking about the context Judy wrote it in, that was probably the norm. It was a little unrealistic for me in points, and a little suprising in others.
It was an interesting and enjoyable read, following our main character as she embarks on the first love, first time, first heartbreak journey. She discovers who she is and what she wants along the way, and I hope she became a better person for it!
As I stated earlier, as a 16 year old I found it hard to take Kath seriously...I mean she was 18 and only just finding this stuff out....but that's the change of time in the real world, not the fault of some fictional character.
So have a read guys!
JB xxx
It was first published in 1975 and was banned from most libraries and parents didn't allow their children to read it due to the obscene sexual content....that 'obscene sexual content' is now the basics that almost every 13 year old knows, or thinks they know. It just goes to show how life changes between the first copy being published and the recent rerelease of the book today. Katherine is an 17/18 year old in America, at school and the book mainly focuses on her relationship with a boy she meets at a New Years Party.
The meeting, and getting together of the couple, in my opinion was ridiculously rushed, but thinking about the context Judy wrote it in, that was probably the norm. It was a little unrealistic for me in points, and a little suprising in others.
It was an interesting and enjoyable read, following our main character as she embarks on the first love, first time, first heartbreak journey. She discovers who she is and what she wants along the way, and I hope she became a better person for it!
As I stated earlier, as a 16 year old I found it hard to take Kath seriously...I mean she was 18 and only just finding this stuff out....but that's the change of time in the real world, not the fault of some fictional character.
So have a read guys!
JB xxx
Thursday 3 November 2011
In My Mailbox #8
I am so sorry guys! Blogging really took a back seat in my life, as did reading! The only thing I had time to read was boring text books! College is stressful! But I had half term last week so I managed to read quite a few books, unfortunately I will not be reviewing those because I simply do not have time! I read Sisters Red, which was absolutely beautiful and a wonderful book which I thoroughly recommend, Evercrossed, which I cannot wait to continue the new trilogy/series of books when the lovely Elizabeth Chandler gets round to writing them and I also read some trashy romance novels that were actually quite brilliant, the best was called The Infidelity Chain...absolutely sucked me in, I stayed up til one am to fnish that beauty! I also read the final in the Evernight series, called Afterlife by Claudia Gray...what a lovely end to an addictive series!
Anyways, there are the quick reviews for what I've read! I better get my ass into gear, christmas is coming up and I have actually put so many books on my list, as well as a kindle. Oh god, I am just glutton for punishment!
Anyways, I recieved a LOT this week! I went to the lovely libraries around my local area, got the entire works of Shakespeare, because I'm studying English Literature in college and I need to widen my reading palete as well as look smart for college applications!!
I also got two books from the lovely MKB which were:
I also went to my library and got some Jane Austen works, because again widening the reading palete etc, and it would look bad if I just watched the films!!
Anyways, thanks for putting up with this HUGE post and I promise, I will be back soon!!
JB xxx
Anyways, there are the quick reviews for what I've read! I better get my ass into gear, christmas is coming up and I have actually put so many books on my list, as well as a kindle. Oh god, I am just glutton for punishment!
Anyways, I recieved a LOT this week! I went to the lovely libraries around my local area, got the entire works of Shakespeare, because I'm studying English Literature in college and I need to widen my reading palete as well as look smart for college applications!!
I also got two books from the lovely MKB which were:
Forever by Judy Blume and The Hunger Games Companion by Lois H Gresh.
I haven't actually read THG yet, but it is on my to buy for kindle wishlist!!
I also went to my library and got some Jane Austen works, because again widening the reading palete etc, and it would look bad if I just watched the films!!
Anyways, thanks for putting up with this HUGE post and I promise, I will be back soon!!
JB xxx
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