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Thursday 28 February 2013

Review: A Shade of Vampire by Bella Forrest

Author: Bella Forrest
Publisher: Self-Published
Page Count: 147 pages, Paperback
Date Published: December 14th 2012
Find it on Goodreads: A Shade of Vampire
Source: Received for Review




On the evening of Sofia Claremont's seventeenth birthday, she is sucked into a nightmare from which she cannot wake.
A quiet evening walk along a beach brings her face to face with a dangerous pale creature that craves much more than her blood.
She is kidnapped to an island where the sun is eternally forbidden to shine.
An island uncharted by any map and ruled by the most powerful vampire coven on the planet. She wakes here as a slave, a captive in chains.
Sofia's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn when she is the one selected out of hundreds of girls to join the harem of Derek Novak, the dark royal Prince.
Despite his addiction to power and obsessive thirst for her blood, Sofia soon realizes that the safest place on the island is within his quarters, and she must do all within her power to win him over if she is to survive even one more night.
Will she succeed? ...or is she destined to the same fate that all other girls have met at the hands of the Novaks?
A Shade of Vampire was a quick, easy read that I wanted to last longer! It was a nice break from some of the heavier books I've been reading lately and I really liked the story. While there were many things I wish had  been done differently, I fell into this world quickly and was disappointed to be pulled out.

Sofia is a seventeen year old girl with a very lonely past. On the eve of her birthday, she is kidnapped by Lucas, a vampire, and taken to the Blood Shade, a tiny island occupied by vampires. There she is held captive by the elite family of Novaks, until their prince, Derek, chooses her specially to be his personal "slave". But soon she realises, that while Derek is constantly fighting to not drink her blood, he does not want to hurt her. She is safest in his quarters but there are still sinister evils following her, and Sofia must watch her back if she intends to stay alive.

I am delighted by the fact that I actually really enjoyed this book! I was pretty apprehensive about it at first, as vampire books are either a win or a lose with me, but no, I really did like it. I just wish it had been longer! I was finally starting to get lost in the world of the Blood Shade, and then *snap* the book is over!


While Sofia wasn't my favourite protagonist of all time, I did like her. She was smart and caring, but I would have like to have delved more into her background story. She seemed like she had a tough past and I would have loved to learn more. Then there was Derek. I think if we got to learn more about him, I would have adored him. Here's this vampire prince who wakes up from 400 years of sleep (That sounds nice right about now) and he's in a completely new world. He has to deal with technology and new renovations to the Blood Shade and all of a sudden his siblings are pushing five gorgeous girls on him, testing his control. While he struggles with his will-power at first, with Sofia's help, he starts to learn how to control himself once again. He cares deeply for Sofia and will do anything in his power (and he has a lot) to keep her safe.

Overall I was fairly impressed by this novel. I wish it had been longer and that the author had expanded the story further so that we could get a bit more background on the characters, as well as see some of the interactions between the characters that we only get brief glimpses of. There were some grammatical errors/typos that sort of made me cringe, but I don't deduct stars just for those unless they are excessive. I am extremely excited to read what happens next in Sofia and Derek's story, as the book left off on a nice cliffhanger! I'd recommend this to anyone needing a quick and easy read who likes vampire lore!


Thank you Bella for sending me this to review! Look for an interview with Bella Forrest, coming soon!

Happy reading!
~Kristy

Wednesday 27 February 2013

Cover Reveal: THE FIERY HEART by Richelle Mead!!!

Guys... GUESSWHATGUESSWHATGUESSWHAT!?!?!? The Fiery Heart's (Bloodlines #4) cover was revealed today!!!!!!!!!

So if any of you VA and Bloodlines fans haven't seen it yet, here it is!!!




What do you think? It's similar to what I had in mind, but not exactly! The colour scheme is different and I'm obviously happy Adrian is on the cover, but what's with Sydney's face? ALTHOUGH I LOVE THAT SYDNEY'S CHEEK IS HIDDEN!!! :D :D :D

I'll be updating the blog on basically as much The Fiery Heart news as I can, as well as anything I find about the VA movie! Don't forget, The Fiery Heart will be released November 19th 2013! It's far away, but at least it's not a full year!

Let me know what you think of the cover below! I'd love to know!

Happy reading!
~Kristy

Waiting on Wednesday (1)

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that I'm eagerly anticipating.This is my first week doing a WoW and I don't know if I'll do it every week, but if I find a book that I'm dying for that isn't coming out for a while, I'll most likely do one!

This week I'm dying for:

Parallel by Lauren Miller
Abby Barnes had a plan. Get into a great college, major in journalism, and land her dream job at a major newspaper. But on the eve of her 18th birthday, she's stuck on a Hollywood movie set instead, wishing she could rewind her life. But the next morning, she’s in a dorm room at Yale, with no memory of how she got there. A collision of parallel worlds has left Abby living a new reality every time her younger parallel self makes a new decision. Forced to live out the consequences of a path she didn't choose, Abby must let go on her plans for the future and learn to focus on the present, without losing sight of who she is, the boy who might just be her soul mate, and the destiny that’s finally in reach.

Hardcover, 432 pages
May 14th 2013 by HarperTeen


Why I'm dying for it:

This book sounds AMAZING! I love the idea of parallel universes and anything to do with different realities. I've never read a book that deals with this kind of thing, so I'm interested to see how it would play out! Abby sounds like someone I could relate to, from what I see in the blurb! YAY relatable protagonists! I'm really excited for this one!

 Leave me a link to your WoW! I want to find more books to put on my  never ending TBR :P

Happy Wednesday!
~Kristy

Tuesday 26 February 2013

Top Ten Tuesday: February 26: Authors That I'd Put On My Auto-Buy List

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.This week's topic is Top Ten Authors That I'd Put On My Auto-Buy List (basically an auto-buy list is no questions asked..you love this author so much that no matter what they wrote next you'd buy regardless of genre or subject matter)

Queen J.K. Rowling
1. J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter) - Ummmm.... DUH! Anything she writes is sure to be amazing. Even if I don't read it as soon as it comes out, it will eventually be on my shelf and read. 

2. Richelle Mead (Her YA stuff) - I guess that's kind of cheating since it's supposed to be ALL of her stuff, but I haven't read any of her adult series yet. Some day though! But anyway, her YA books are all so great and I'm positive anything she writes I will enjoy.

3. Tahereh Mafi (Shatter Me) - Tahereh is one of my top authors and I adore her to bits. I almost cried when I met her back in May of last year (totally not embarrassed...) and she's kind of one of my inspirations for writing, as her style is so unique and different. Anything she writes, I will read.
 
John Green DFTBA
4. John Green (The Fault in Our Stars) - John Green is wonderful... He is one of the most incredible authors I have ever read and everything he writes is so beautiful. His work is lyrical and emotional and amazing 

5. Kody Keplinger (The DUFF) - Kody's books are so great. They're real and funny and raw and she knows how a teenager works. 

6. Sarah Dessen (Lock & Key, What Happened to Goodbye) - It's Sarah Dessen. What else can I say? She's the perfect girl-y author for books that are nice to read on a beach or when you just need to relax. Her books are fluffy but not too fluffy and a nice easy read for a day when something crazy heavy isn't gonna be a good idea. 

Stephanie Perkins
7. Lauren DeStefano (Wither) - Lauren has an imagination that is amazingly original and creative and she knows how to write... Well. It's incredible how she writes and I'm positive I'd love anything she writes. 

8. David Levithan (Every Day) - *blushes* Okay so I've only read one of his books, but I ADORED Every Day and am prepared to read every book David has ever written. I just need to find them. 

9. Stephanie Perkins (Anna and the French Kiss) - I loved Anna and have yet to read anything else of Stephanie's, but I'm desperately looking forward to it! She's an amazing author and I can't wait to read  Lola and the Boy Next Door!

10. Morgan Matson (Second Chance Summer) - Both Amy & Roger's Epic Detour and Second Chance Summer are two books that hold a special place in my heart. Matson 's style is beautiful and her books are enchanting.

I love this topic! I feel like I have so many authors on my auto-buy list, but these are most definitely some of the top ones! Leave me a link to your TTT and maybe I'll find some more authors to add to my list!

Happy Tuesday!
~Kristy 
 

Sunday 24 February 2013

I'm Scared

Hi guys! Okay so today I wanted to talk to you about one of my fears of blogging, as I vowed to open up more to my followers this year! And what better way to open up than share one of your fears!? Okay, so what am I scared of exactly? Well.... *hides face* this is kind of embarrassing, because *blushes* it seems like it should be something I can do easily right? *looks up slowly*

I'm terrified of the thought of... REQUESTING ARCS

DUN DUN DUNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

Now, I don't really know what it is.... I want to be able to do it. I want to be able to muster up the courage to go and email a publisher asking them if they can send me a book to review, but I just.... can't. I stop myself right before I open the link to get the email address. Every. Time.

I didn't start blogging so that I could receive ARCs. I didn't even know they existed until I started reading more book blogs. But now that I've been blogging for over a year and have 750+ followers, I somehow feel obligated to start requesting ARCs. Like it's expected of me. I know it's not, but I can't help but feel that way! Trust me, I KNOW that I don't need to get ARCs to be a book blogger and I know that it's not something that I need to do.. My TBR is huge at the moment and I'm so behind on my reading schedule it's not even funny. So why am I freaking out about this so much? Well, other than the fact that I don't know whether or not to contact the US branch or Candian branch of the publishing company...


So after yet another session of browsing through catalogues and almost writing up a request and then shutting it down, I decided enough is enough. It's time to blog about it. So, my dear followers, what do you think? If you're a blogger, did you ever have a similar fear? Did you get over it? If you did.... HOW? I'd love to know some of your blogging fears or if you were/are nervous about requesting ARCs! Then maybe I wouldn't feel so odd. :P No okay I'll still feel odd, but I won't feel so alone!


So you might be laughing and shaking your head at me and my somewhat ridiculous fear, or maybe you're nodding with my words and agree with me. I don't know. But I'm happy I'm trying to open up myself to you guys on this blog this year, because well, almost everything feels a bit better once I write about it. So now I'm rambling! Let me know in the comments if you were ever scared of the thought of requesting ARCs and if you got over it, how?

Happy Sunday!
~Kristy

Saturday 23 February 2013

Stacking the Shelves (27)

Stacking the Shelves is a book haul meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews -This is a great way for us to share what books we added to our shelves each.

Purchased:



YAY! I'm really excited that I finally found these two books this week!!! Leave me a link in the comments to your haul of the week and I'll check it out! I'd love to see what you got this week in books!

Happy reading!
~Kristy

Wednesday 20 February 2013

Review: The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead

Author: Richelle Mead
Publisher: Razorbill
Page Count: 432 pages, Hardcover
Date Published: February 12th 2013
Find it on Goodreads: The Indigo Spell
Source: Purchased 




 In the aftermath of a forbidden moment that rocked Sydney to her core, she finds herself struggling to draw the line between her Alchemist teachings and what her heart is urging her to do. Then she meets alluring, rebellious Marcus Finch--a former Alchemist who escaped against all odds, and is now on the run. Marcus wants to teach Sydney the secrets he claims the Alchemists are hiding from her. But as he pushes her to rebel against the people who raised her, Sydney finds that breaking free is harder than she thought. There is an old and mysterious magic rooted deeply within her. And as she searches for an evil magic user targeting powerful young witches, she realizes that her only hope is to embrace her magical blood--or else she might be next.




Richelle Mead never fails to amuse and amaze me with her VA/Bloodlines books. I am always so impressed on how hooked I get to her stories and how much I love the characters in the books. I adored VA. I  loved Rose and Dimitri so much, but with Bloodlines, with Sydney and Adrian, it's different. I really relate a lot to Sydney, much more than I did with Rose, and so I can empathize with her decisions and some of her thoughts along the way, but well, not all of them..... AND THEN THERE'S ADRIAN


I really loved Adrian in the VA series, but not for Rose. I am a dedicated Dimitri fan when it comes to who Rose ends up with, but I LOVEEEEE Sydrian! I just....


Sydney and Adrian's relationship goes through a lot in The Indigo Spell and it had me hooked. There was a lot of cute and adorable moments and even some steamier ones... (I know, I was shocked too... Ok, not really.) Adrian is starting to get back to being the funny and amusing Adrian who has been kind of missing since The Last Sacrifice. I'm totally loving his and Sydney's relationship and it's growth and all of the conflicts! Whoooo!

The Indigo Spell also touches a lot on the witchcraft part of Sydney's life. We learn a LOT more about witches and magic and it's really interesting to see where Richelle Mead is taking this aspect of the story. These aren't just vampire books, people. THERE'S A LOT MORE TO IT! There's a lot of growth in Sydney's witchcraft and it was really interesting to read about her conflicts with it, because it's against all that she's ever known, and yet she seems to be meant  for it.

THEN there was a lot we learned about the Alchemists, the lily tattoo anddddd Marcus Finch! Marcus was such a huge mystery in The Golden Lily and we get to finally learn about who he is, what he does, and why he's important. Well, obviously there's still some questions about him and his plans, but what we do learn is very interesting. I liked how Sydney reacted to him and how much she learned about her 'people'. It was very interesting to see her actions when she learned something new. I find Sydney a little bit fascinating, if you can't tell.  I know a lot of people probably think she's really dull, but I differ. It's not anything specific, I don't think. I just think she's a good MC.

As for the technical parts of The Indigo Spell, it's Richelle Mead. She's a talented writer who knows how to captivate her audience and keep them entranced. She has a vast imagination and I can tell Sydney and Adrian's story is only just beginning. There is so much more to come, I'm sure. SPEAKING OF, this is from Richelle's facebook:

Awesome news! The Fiery Heart (Bloodlines #4) will be out on November 19, 2013, and the cover will be revealed next Wednesday, February 27! The book is hot! Remember when I said that about Indigo Spell? Now get ready to turn up the temperature a few degrees more...
That makes me SO excited! I wonder what colour it's going to be!!!!!! And the cover.... I wonder if it'll have Adrian on it again.. I hope so. Actually, I have kind of an idea of how I think it might look, but I could  be totally off. But I won't say, because well....


So once again, another Richelle Mead book that I loved. No surprise there! I can't wait for The Fiery Heart and be sure to look out for a crazy fan-girling post on Wednesday when the cover is revealed! ;)

Happy reading!
~Kristy

Tuesday 19 February 2013

Top Ten Tuesday: Favourite Characters in X Genre

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.This week's topic is Top Ten Favorite Characters In X Genre. I chose to do my top ten characters in YA Dystopians! These are in no particular order and basically I chose this topic so that it wouldn't be a huge list of characters from Harry Potter! ;)


1. Tris (Divergent by Veronica Roth)
A new place, a new name. I can be remade here.

"Tris," I say firmly.”
2. Peeta (The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins) [Thought I'd go with the classic quote:]
“Only I keep wishing I could think of a way...to show the Capitol they don't own me. That I'm more than just a piece in their Games.”
3. Juliette (Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi)
“I spent my life folded between the pages of books.
In the absence of human relationships I formed bonds with paper characters. I lived love and loss through stories threaded in history; I experienced adolescence by association. My world is one interwoven web of words, stringing limb to limb, bone to sinew, thoughts and images all together. I am a being comprised of letters, a character created by sentences, a figment of imagination formed through fiction.”
4. Ky (Matched by Ally Condie)

I know which life is my real one now, no matter what happens. It’s the one with you. For some reason, knowing that even one person knows my story makes things different. Maybe it’s like the poem says. Maybe this is my way of not going gentle.
I love you.
5. Four (Divergent by Veronica Roth)
“Becoming fearless isn't the point. That's impossible. It's learning how to control your fear, and how to be free from it.”
6. Alex (Delirium by Lauren Oliver)
“Everyone is asleep. They've all been asleep for years. You seemed ... awake.' Alex is whispering now. He closes his eyes, opens them again.'I'm tired of sleeping.”
7. Adam (Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi)
“He smiles a small smile. His lips twitch like he's trying not to laugh. His eyes soften as they study my own. "There's very little I wouldn't do for you.”
8. Amy (Across the Universe by Beth Revis)

“I never thought about how important the sky was until I didn't have one.”
9. Jonas (The Giver by Lois Lowry)
“The worst part of holding the memories is not the pain. It's the loneliness of it. Memories need to be shared.”
10. Maxon (The Selection by Kiera Cass)
“What do you think my chances might be of finding a soul mate in the group of you? I'll be lucky if I can just find someone who'll be able to stand me for the rest of our lives. What if I've already sent her home because I was relying on some sort of spark I didn't feel? What if she's waiting to leave me at the first sign of adversity? What if I don't find anyone at all? What do I do then, America?”

That's my list of the week! I had a bit of trouble narrowing it down to this ten, so there are a lot more that I could add to this list, as per usual! I want to see what genre you picked this week AND who you picked as your favourites! Leave me a link in the comments and I'll check it out!

Happy Tuesday!
~Kristy

Monday 18 February 2013

750 Follower Giveaway!


 Hey guys! So just as my 1 Year Blogoversary Giveaway ends, I hit another milestone! I hit 750 GFC followers! I'm kind of in shock because I remember when I first started my blog, I hit 75 followers and was SO happy. Now that number has been multiplied by 10!? WHAT!?

I first wanted to say another big thank you to all of you who have followed A Little Shelf of Heaven in any way at all. I love and appreciate each and every one of you. I'm starting to recognize some names in the comments and I'm talking to more bloggers on twitter and I feel like I'm starting to get there! So in celebration of 750 followers, I wanted to do another giveaway!


Rules:
  •  The winner can win any book that is equivalent to 15$ (CAD) or £10 (GBP)
  • Fill in the Rafflecopter below (PLEASE do not leave personal info in the comments!)
  • The giveaway is INTERNATIONAL as long as The Book Depository ships to your country for free (click HERE to check)
  • You must be 13 or older to enter. If you are under 13, please ask your parent/guardian for permission first.
  • As TBD is sending out the prize, I am not responsible for books lost or damaged in the post
  • Giveaway runs from 18/02/2013 to 08/03/2013 12:01 am EST. 
  • The winner will be contacted by email and must reply within 48 hours, otherwise an alternate winner will be chosen.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck you guys! And thank you!
~Kristy

Sunday 17 February 2013

Review: Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

Author: Tahereh Mafi
Publisher: HarperCollins
Page Count: 469 pages, Paperback
Date Published: February 5th 2013
Find it on Goodreads: Unravel Me
Source: Purchased



 tick

tick

tick

tick

tick

it's almost

time for war.

Juliette has escaped to Omega Point. It is a place for people like her—people with gifts—and it is also the headquarters of the rebel resistance.

She's finally free from The Reestablishment, free from their plan to use her as a weapon, and free to love Adam. But Juliette will never be free from her lethal touch.

Or from Warner, who wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible.

In this exhilarating sequel to Shatter Me, Juliette has to make life-changing decisions between what she wants and what she thinks is right. Decisions that might involve choosing between her heart—and Adam's life.


 Warning: There are SPOILERS in the review below for those who have not read Shatter Me.
.
.
.
.
.
Tahereh Mafi.....
 WHY????????


Ahem.... I'll try and write this in the most orderly fashion that I am capable of...

After finishing Unravel Me I sat on my bed with my chin rested on my knees, staring at nothing for a good 5-7 minutes. Thinking. Just thinking. Because, well.... Tahereh Mafi is a freaking artist.

I loved Shatter Me. Loved it, loved it, loved it. It was one of my favourite books I read last year. I loved the story, the protagonist, the love interest, and everything else. Adam and Juliette were on my top 5 OTP list (How do you like that oxymoron?) and I loved Juliette's mind and Tahereh's writing and it was beautiful. So waiting for Unravel Me was PAINFUL. It came out while I was in Ottawa and so when we stopped in the airport in Edmonton I looked in every place they had books and when I finally found it at Indigo I FREAKED OUT... My friend was actually kind of scared, I think. Anyways, I finally found it and waited until I got home to read it so that I could enjoy it, and boy did I enjoy it!

Tahereh Mafi's style of writing may not be for everyone, but I personally think it's beautiful. She's a poet.... An artist. The way Mafi write Juliette's thought process is magnificent and it connected me to Juliette in a way that I don't experience often. There are more than a few ways that I relate to Juliette, (no I can't kill people with my touch :P) and she is one of my favourite protagonists/heroines. Yes she does things that irritate me, but she also does things that I admire and appreciate. She's like a good friend, in a way. Juliette grows a lot in Unravel Me, learning about her powers and gaining confidence in who she is and what she can do and how she can do it.

Then there's the secondary characters. We get to see a lot more of Kenji (YAY!) and he's becoming a favourite of mine! He really pushes Juliette to see the bigger picture and teaches her to become stronger and helps her with her growth. He opens her eyes to a lot. We learn more about his background and his importance at Omega Point, but I want to know MORE! We learn a tiny bit more about James, but don't see a ton from him which is kind of sad, but what we do is a delight, because well, it's James. And then..... Adam. And Warner.

 I. Hate. Warner. That's what I have to keep telling myself, because this stupid beautiful book possibly made me love hate Warner. LOVE HATE him. The  character that I absolutely despised with every fiber in my bone in Shatter Me has won his way into my heart somehow... GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. I'm so conflicted..........
.
..
...
In Shatter Me I LOVED Adam. He was one of my all time favourite heroes/love interests. And I hated Warner. He was one of the best villains I'd ever read, because I literally just HATED him. He was so.... Awful! And then, the brilliant Tahereh Mafi has to go and MESS UP MY EMOTIONS.

We learn so much more about Warner and his past and his family and what he's capable of and ughhhhhh I hate the fact that I can sympathize with him because he's supposed to be an awful, despicable human being, right? But no. NO. He isn't. He's a mega-hot, mega-hurt 19 year old kid who seems to be in love with a girl who is in love with a guy he hates. I DON'T KNOW. I'M SORRY BUT CAPSLOCK IS NECESSARY. I CANNOT EVEN FIGURE OUT MY EMOTIONS THAT INVOLVE WARNER. BAH.

And then there's Adam. Oh, Adam. Of course, because it's a second book in a dystopian trilogy, there's some force keeping Adam and Juliette from being happy together and everything well in the world. THIS CAUSED ME MAJOR SADNESS. Because this conflict just messed up everything. And Juliette was upset  and Adam was upset and she was crying and he was passionately fighting for her and she was trying to protect him and ya-da-ya-da-ya-da you get the story.

So Juliette has Warner who has confessed his love to her and is actually reaching in and showing human emotions but is still that person who made her do terrible things and then there's Adam who is still totally in love with her but obviously there's another force that is keeping them from being together. No wonder she's freaking out.


I'm sorry for this very informal, very crazily written review, for those of you who prefer straight-forward reviews. I just couldn't give this book a normal review. While  Unravel Me stressed out my emotions, I loved it to bits. Tahereh Mafi, once again, you are a beautiful, talented, amazing artist who has now written two books that make me think about things that I have always been scared about thinking of. I truly appreciate that. I love Tahereh's style of writing... She paints her words on the paper that is her canvas and I am living in Juliette's world for a long time after I close the book. There is so much more to this story than a crazy love-triangle, and I adore every aspect of it. Spectacular follow-up.


Have a great day/night everyone!
~Kristy


Saturday 16 February 2013

Stacking the Shelves (26)

Stacking the Shelves is a book haul meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews -This is a great way for us to share what books we added to our shelves each.


Received for Review:


 Purchased (Second-Hand):




 Purchased (New):


 Traded:

I traded with Christine @ Ink Skies! I sent her The Book of Blood and Shadow and she sent me this lovely!  Thank you Christine!

 This was a big week for me in books! I got so many, it feels like! I would love to see what you received this week in books, so leave me a link below!

Happy reading!
~Kristy
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