Sunday 31 October 2010

EVENT CLOSED Win a copy of Sugar Rush by Kimber An, INTERNATIONAL, ends Midnight Sunday 14th November



Not only have I been able to review Sugar Rush, but Kimber An is offering one reader a copy of the book! 

The Prize: one ebook copy of SUGAR RUSH up for grabs
The rules: one entry per person, the random drawing of the winner is final. International contest! 
The deadline: Sunday 14th November 2010, midnight 
To enter: Just fill in this form

Sugar Rush by Kimber An (Young Adult, 9/10E)


21st October 2010, Decadent Publishing 
221 pages, ebook (available in other formats)
Review copy

Young Adult Paranormal, 

Infrequent violence, family relationships, teen romance (some), psycho boyfriend, vampires 

Summary from Decadent Publishing 
Running and screaming will have to wait. A blood-sucking dead guy may be a vampire to you, but he’s an alien/human hybrid to Ophelia and she really must examine his olfactory nerve under a microscope first.

Ophelia longs to be free, free of diabetes, free of her ex-boyfriend, free to live.Something transformed Martin and made her his drug. If he has his way, she’ll never achieve the freedom to learn his true nature and origin.

Adrian’s the new guy in school. He faked his identity to get close to Ophelia, knowing the monsters who took his diabetic sister would try to take Ophelia, too. Then, he’d have them. But, he knew better than to get too close.

Oh, yeah, he did. Seriously.



Nayuleska's thoughts
Orphelia is a trekkie! It's clear where a lot of the inspiration for Sugar Rush came from when Orphelia shares many of the lives that Kimber An does with all things sci-fi. Orphelia was an instant hit with me. I was so scared about her safety from her psycho boyfriend (who is incredibly creepy and will have you double-checking you've locked the doors), more so when I discovered just why he was so smitten with Orphelia. She has a pretty hard time living with diabetes, which is a full time disease that needs constant monitoring. I didn't know a lot about diabetes before reading this, but I understand a lot more now. On top of that she discovers that she's suddenly a very attractive dish to vampires, which up until recently she didn't really know existed. Orphelia is a scientist. And, as Kimber An herself will say - they aren't vampires, but alien/human hybrids. Orphelia finds the proof for that theory too! (In my view, they are vampires...but I wouldn't want to upset this author). 

Orphelia's story isn't the only one that caught my interest. I love her sister Bianca. Bianca is hyper, and a drama queen. One of my favourite scenes (which also had me reaching for a tissue) was the sewing machine incident. It's clear that Orphelia will do anything to keep her family safe. Unfortunately, safe isn't a word which enters the book.

I think the only part of the book which didn't work for me was the transition between the first and second chapter. I can't put my finger on it, but it was a little off for me. 

Final Conclusion

If you think vampires/alien-human hybrids have saturated the market, you'd be wrong. Sugar Rush is a new slant on vampires, with one of the most likeable heroines I've come across.


To keep up with this Alaskan author, check out her website here.

The Big Green Book by Fred Pearce




September 2010, Eden Project Children's Books
12 pages, Hardback
Review copy

Non-fiction, Children's, 5-7 years

Raising awareness about the environment, how humans are both polluting and saving the planet, fun pop-outs, game at the end, 

How much of the planet does it takes to make your stuff? How much water does it take to grow the cotton for your t-shirt?
Why do we need to find greener types of energy?

What does it matter if the rainforests are being cut down?
Global warming, pollution, water shortages, ice caps melting . . . 
What does it all mean?



Pull the tabs, lift the flaps and open up the amazing pops and discover the answers to these questions and more. Find out what YOU can do to help our planet stay green!

Nayuleska's thoughts
I broke the book! The first time I flicked through, I hadn't used a pull the flap books for a looong while. I randomly pulled one of the tabs a bit too enthusiastically and it, um, broke. It still goes in and out, but I ripped the page a little :( I think this prove that it should survive being handled by children! (and pets...) [Edited to add that since that day I have managed to wreck that tab, and it now falls out of the book]

This book is full of colour, perfect for keeping all readers entertained. The facts are spread over the pages in short snippets. They can (mostly) be read in any order: the ones which have an order - like the water cycle - have the steps numbered. There are lots of flaps to lift, tabs to pull (carefully). Some facts are hidden away in a concertina like flap, with the positive and negative points on either side. There are some dials to turn, a large pop-out forest and a pop-out megacity to explore. The game at the end incorporates the facts from the book into the questions (don't worry, there is an answer card!). It's a book to read over and over, so that readers slowly build up a knowledge of what's happening to the environment as well as ways to help save it. 

There are a few small points that I weren't keen on: sometimes it was a little tricky to read the font on a few of the coloured backgrounds. If you have a super conscious child, they might take the information to the extreme and worry anything they do is hurting the planet, so some reassurance might be needed here. Also one or two flaps and facts were partially obscured in the pop-out forest - they could have been missed. 

Final conclusion
A bright and cheerful interactive book explaining conservation to readers, and encouraging a greener community.


You can find out more about Fred Pearce here.

Another great book concerning the environment is The Trouble With Dragons by Debi Gliori

National Non-Fiction (Day) Week begins!



This Thursday, 4th November, marks the first ever National Non-Fiction Day in England. For more info, check out www.nnfd.org.uk 
 I was asked a month or so ago if I would be interested in helping spread the word about this day. As you can see, I said yes. 

Non-fiction books play more of a role in our lives that fiction books. They are the books we read when we were little, the ones teaching us about the world. They were the ones I poured over on my sister's bedroom floor (she had all the encyclopaedias), desperately looking for some information for my homework. In those days I didn't have the internet. If I wanted to know something, I went to every library that I had access to. My first assignment involving research was an article on the woolly mammoth. I'm not sure why that memory stayed in my head. Maybe I recognised it was an important learning curb in my education. Maybe I just like elephants (I love Lumpy & Eeyore in Winnie-the-Pooh)

As I progressed to secondary school, non-fiction books became the norm. I used lots of them as text-books, and as reference materials for my GCSE's. A-levels were no different. I thought I read a lot then, but that was nothing compared to the amount I consumed during my degree. 

Non-fiction books aren't just for study. If you have a hobby or just want to learn some facts, you turn to non-fiction books for help. These days there is the internet, but it can be tricky to tell which site is genuine and full of facts (rather than facts posing as fiction). Non-fiction reference books generally are guaranteed to be factual. 

Non-fiction books aren't all thick volumes- some with the most interesting information are quite small. Neither are all non-fiction books reference books - some are fiction books! Truly, I am reviewing a true life story about two sisters, who because of their Jewish faith had to hide from the Nazi's in a convent during the second world war. 

All of this week I am reviewing non-fiction books. There will also be a few fiction books too, but I'm sure some of the non-fiction books will gain your interest. 

So, this week I encourage you all to look at a non-fiction book. They are well worth the time. 

THURSDAY 4TH NOVEMBER www.nnfd.org.uk

Saturday 30 October 2010

Scarlett Dedd by Cathy Brett

September 2010, Headline
280 pages, Paperback
Review copy

Young adult

Gore, haunting, teen humour, teen angst, teen relationships, regret, friendship

So long as it works, at the bottom of this post is a movie for Scarlett's book :) 


Summary from Headline
You're dead Scarlett...

Previously a poor taste jibe from school frenemies, now a statement of fact. 

Scarlett is absolutely mortified (in more ways than one) to discover that she's accidentally killed herself while trying to get out of a school trip. Even worse, she's taken her entire family with her.

Life as a ghost is pretty dull - if only some of her friends were dead too...

Nayuleska's thoughts
The idea of a story concerned with blogging drew me in. I can be faint stomached and at times felt a little green - mostly because of the illustrations, which are cool. I liked the mixture between blog posts and the narration. Once dead, Scarlett gets manipulated by other dead people into trying to make her friends dead. I thought it was odd, but Scarlett doesn't realise this until it's nearly too late. She's very lonely, and very confused. And she gets awful side effects from hauntings and being dead. Really gross side effects! I laughed at what her brother gets up to, because it feels like a typical brotherly thing to do (if they are dead). He livened up the story when life (the dead life) was getting Scarlett down. Scarlett does eventually learn that there is a life for ghosts - she gets help from an unexpected quarter.

This is an interactive book, with the different font styles, sizes and forms. As well as being a positive selling point, this was also a negative selling point for me. Some of the text is written on top of illustrations (which can cover the whole page). This made it extremely hard to read, so much so that I had to skip a few pages. If the background had been a few shades darker, or if the font had been lighter I could have read it. I like the concept of font within the picture, but not at the cost of being unable to read. This is a format issue, not anything to do with the story. On two pages the writing was really tiny and was shaped in two circles (with several lines of text). I didn't even try reading these pages - I read the end line and turned over. Turning the book round and round wasn't an option for me - I have weak hands and was not up to it. Please don't get me wrong, I like exciting ways to present text, but the ways highlighted in this review aren't accessible for all readers. This doesn't put me off reading more books by Cathy Brett, but it would be nice to be able to read every page.

Final conclusion
Scarlett is a blogger with a large twist to her life: not for the faint stomached.

For another teen's take on being a ghost try My So-Called Afterlife by Tamsyn Murray

Friday 29 October 2010

Miss Bubble's Troubles by Malaika Rose Stanley, illustrated by Jan Smith



September 2010, Tamarind 
40 pages, Paperback 
Review copy 

Children's, picture book 7-9 years

Rhyming, school, friendship, talents, clever pets 

Miss Bubble is a super-cool teacher at Topley Primary School. The children in Rainbow Class have lots of fun with her. When Miss Bubble ends up in a spot of trouble, her parrot Shriek and her cat Milkshake try their best to help. But they need Rainbow Class to come to the rescue…

Nayuleska's thoughts
Primary school is a very special time for children. It's a time for making friends, playing a lot, running around and lots of laughter. I feel in some ways teachers can play more of a key role for children at primary school than other ages. It's not just learning how to read, write and solve maths problems. Teachers help guide children to keep active, to try lots of hobbies until they find something they are good act. Teachers pave the way for children to explore the world on their own when they are older. I remember most of my teachers being like Miss Bubble. She's the kind of teacher who makes school enjoyable, and not a chore. The children love her, and so do her pets. One day there's an accident, and it is her pets who alert the authorities of the problem. Only, the doctors can't seem to do much for her. So her class try and wake her up by performing tricks and putting on a play. Eventually it works, and everyone is happy again. 

The rhyming sentences will soon have children learning the words. The colours you see on the cover run throughout the book, making it a vibrant read. Half of the illustrations are in black and white - I found this a little odd, although most of the black and white illustrations are of when the accident happens, so could relate to the not so fun part of the story. I felt energetic just by looking at the pictures of the children doing so many different things. I'm proud to see one of Miss Bubble's pets was a cat - they are the best pets ever! As are birds (although I don't have a parrot - it would probably want to eat my two birds!). 

Final conclusion: 
A colourful story which shows how much children care about their teachers, and what an important role teachers play to children. 

Thursday 28 October 2010

The Dying Photo by Alan Gibbons


July 2010, Barrington Stoke 
72 pages, Paperback
Review copy 

Children's, Interest age 9-12 years, Reading age: 8 

Horror, lots of spine shivering moments, creepy photographers

Summary from Barrington Stoke
Jamie's shopping with his parents in Liverpool when a photographer offers to take a picture. The camera flashes. Both Jamie's parents and the photographer have gone, and all that's left is a negative fluttering to the ground. On it - Jamie's parents. And they're screaming. Can Jamie discover what's happened? Taut ghost story based on a blurb by a Year 6 boy from a Liverpool primary school who won a city-wide competition.

Nayuleska's thoughts
It's a pretty scary concept - people disappearing out of their life into a photo, not a trace to be found. Combined with the illustrations, I was almost regretting reading it after sunset. Thankfully I didn't have nightmares about it :) Jamie was living in a nightmare. His parents vanish - and are replaced by complete strangers. He begins to wonder if he is mad, and making it all up. No one says he is crazy, but he can see them thinking it. Lucky for him, he isn't the only person this has happened to. Unluckily for him, the creepy photographer is after him too. Jamie's fear is conveyed realistically, more so when he realises only he can save everyone. I liked the explanation of what polaroids are, because not everyone will have heard of them, thanks to the digital age we live in. As ever, Barrington Stoke have interesting facts about the author and illustrator in the book, as well as the process they took for getting the ideas for this book. 

Final conclusion
Don't read after dark if you freak out easily like I do. 

If you enjoyed this, try Fire Mask by Franzeska G Ewart

Wednesday 27 October 2010

The Age of Zeus by James Lovegrove


April 2010, Solaris Books
688 pages, Paperback 
Review copy 

Science fiction, 

Moderate to graphic violence, some moderate to graphic innuendo/adult situations, awesomely cool attack suits, great twists

Summary by Solaris 
The Olympians appeared a decade ago, living incarnations of the Ancient Greek gods on a mission to bring permanent order and stability to the world. Resistance has proved futile, and now humankind is under the jackboot of divine oppression. Until former London police officer Sam Akehurst receives an invitation too tempting to turn down: the chance to join a small band of guerrilla rebels armed with high-tech weapons and battlesuits. Calling themselves the Titans, they square off against the Olympians and their ferocious mythological monsters in a war of attrition which some will not survive.

Nayuleska's thoughts
The blurb on the back cover intrigued me. I was delighted at 4.30am in the morning when I first started this book that Sam was female. The book started with everything I wanted. Strong female lead, who ends up with a brilliant opportunity in a world gone mad. I was thinking Percy Jackson gone wrong type of Olympian (yes some of them were evil in PJ, but even the 'good' ones were evil. The TITAN suits are everything I dreamed of. They move beautifully. They offer both offensive and defensive protection. They enable to wearer have super strength, super speed. My eyes were shining (not just because of the early hour). The pacing was relatively fast, with lots of elements of a thriller. I wanted to know what Sam's secret past was. Why she'd been chosen to be in charge of the group. 

Then it started to drag a little. I understood that the reader needed to know what happened on the missions, but for me when the results of the missions were explained as interlude chapters, my eyes began to glaze over. I carried on, because of the how it all started. Sadly I confess to skim reading most of the second part of the book. The pacing was quite slow in places for me. I felt there was quite a lot of explanation, and not as much action. I loved the twists in the plot regarding the Olympians, that was nicely done. It just took a long time in arriving. Even near the end where I did read more than I skimmed, it was a bit anti-climactic. I've spoken to someone who has read the previous book, The Age of Ra and they raved about it. Like me their concentration wandered a little in the Age of Zeus, so I think I will give the forthcoming title a go when it comes out. There were a lot of good points about this book. Sam is very human, very approachable. She sees what other people don't. She tries the impossible with a few characters. And the ending is a happy one. 

Final conclusion: 
Aside from the pacing which veers off halfway, this was an enjoyable read. Definitely an author to keep an eye on. 

If you like this, check out The Age of Ra which I hear is really good :) 

Tuesday 26 October 2010

Finding Sky by Joss Stirling (Young Adult, 10E/10E)


7th October 2010, Oxford University Press
320 pages, Paperback 
Review copy 

Mystery, mild romance, lots of danger and secrets, telepathy and other special abilities


Most of us are doomed to knowing there's something better out there but we can't discover it. 

What would you do if the hottest guy in school turned out to be your perfect match - your soulfinder? 
Sky is the shy English girl, new to the American high school in Wickenridge, and she's about to surprise everyone - most of all herself.


Nayuleska's thoughts
You see the design on the cover? Well that same design is at the start of every chapter - I liked that. I really enjoyed the book. Sky has a dark past that she can't remember - one which I promise you will make you think 'wow' and want to re-read the book again. I liked her life. I liked how out of place she felt. What I enjoyed the most was that she was an English girl in an American town. I related to her because the little parts of American culture got explained fully. Some of her memories are involuntarily shut off, but she does a fair amount of shutting people out of her life. Including her soulfinder. 

There are elements of the book which echo elements of other books in this genre, and yet I still loved the book. I wanted to know what Sky's awful past was. When the enemies of the story were made known, my heart skipped a lot of beats. I smiled a lot too - Sky has a type of humour which mirrors mine. I particularly liked the Vampire Brides! (no blood involved). The pacing of the story is spot on - just as I started thinking 'if nothing happens soon, this is a bit slow), something happened. Admittedly I would have liked the intense danger to begin earlier on in the book, but the story build up was important. Zed has a likeable family - one who you wouldn't want to cross paths with. Equally formidable are Sky's adoptive parents - they also know how to stand their ground. But then, so does Sky. My heart went out to her when she was confused, unsure what to believe. I really hope there may be more stories involving Sky and Zed. It feels like this book only scratches the surface of an intriguing concept. 

Final conclusion
She looks sweet, she is vulnerable, but she has more strength than she knows to face the danger in the present and confront the horrors of her past. 

Monday 25 October 2010

Author Interview with Rachel Vincent

In conjunction with my review of ALPHA (link to review will be active by the end of Mon 25th) Rachel kindly agreed to answer a few interview questions. Thank you  Rachel!


Nayu: What type of research did you undertake for the Shifters series - for example did you watch films about cats to see how they move?

Rachel: I went to the zoo several times to watch the large cats move (always interesting, since I have an actual phobia of large cats, complete with vivid nightmares). I also watched some documentaries on TV, did a bunch of fact checking online (mostly regarding how cats make kills, how powerful their jaws are, and general info about their physiology). And…I listened to various cat sound recordings online, to make sure I was describing the chuffs, roars, and growls right. ;)

2)     Is there any character who for whatever reason had to be cut from the final version of the Shifters series?

If memory serves, there was a minor bad guy in Rogue who got cut in an attempt to simplify the plot. But I can’t even remember his name anymore.

3)     With the Shifters series now at a close, do you find that you still have ideas for the characters, for what happens after Alpha?

I don’t have any more ideas for Faythe off the top of my head, but just this past weekend, an idea for a possible spinoff kinda smacked me over the head. That’s the first specific idea I’ve had in that regard, so I was pretty surprised. No promises, though. ;)

4)      Do you think you'll return to the concept of shapeshifters again, maybe using a different location and/or time setting to Shifters, or are you branching out into something completely different for your next work?

My next series is something completely different. I haven’t ruled out a possible Shifters spinoff, but I’m not currently working on or contracted for one.

5)      What have you found to be the highs and lows of being a writer?

The highs include really nailing a difficult scene/tricky emotion, seeing your first book on the shelf, and hearing from readers who were caught up enough in your characters to cry over them. The lows, obviously, are bad/snarky/personally offensive reviews. Those can make it very difficult to preserve enough self confidence to get the next book written. Someday I’ll have enough willpower to simply not read reviews, but I doubt that’ll happen any time soon. ;)

Rachel Vincent is the author of Alpha part of her Shifter’s series about a pride of werecats which is out now from MIRA books £6.99. For more information on Rachel’s books visit www.nocturnbites.co.uk

Alpha by Rachel Vincent

1st October 2010, Mira Books
472 pages, Paperback
Review copy

Fantasy (urban fantasy)

Lots of threats & danger, relationship tension, moderate violence, strong language, some humour, lots of tissues needed

Book blurb

"The Only thing I knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt - I would live and die for my pride."


Everything is about to change for werecat Faythe when her father is ousted from the council that controls their secret world. And a shocking tragedy jeopardises her future as Alpha of the pride. 


Now a rebel on the run, Faythe's biggest fight lies ahead. Old allies from the supernatural world are ready to stand by her side. And weretoms Marc and Jace would give their very souls in the duel for Faythe's heart....


Yet as their enemies draw near Faythe knows that she - and she alone - can lead the pride into what may be their final battle.


Nayuleska's thoughts


Alpha is the sixth and final book in this series - I haven't read the rest (yet!), and recommend that you do before reading it. Although it didn't spoil my enjoyment of Alpha. There's a lot of background detail, especially Faythe's relationship with all the other characters but that does get summarised a little throughout the book. I loved how strong Faythe is. She has a strong heart. She isn't the strongest cat on the block and she knows it. She does all she can to keep the pride she belongs to safe. I might be a little cold in saying she really should have figured out which of Jace and Marc she liked the best sooner, but the romantic elements of the book weren't what drew me to it. I'm sort of new to shapeshifters and loved the concept of Faythe being in charge.

There's so much tension in the book - it really is life or death for Faythe a lot of the time. When I started the book I had worked out what the tragedy might be, and I was correct. This didn't spoil it for me though. I was tearing up as it happened. Every reference to it afterwards had me reaching for the tissues - which wasn't easy when I was waiting in my local garage! Books that make me cry rank highly - emotional connections are part of the reading experience. Faythe has ticked off an awful lot of people who want revenge, but her pride will stand by her no matter what. I learnt a lot about werecat culture, which was fascinating. The description of what happens when Faythe and the others shift was a compelling read. I'm a little sad the series has finished (even though I've only read 1 book) because I feel that there's still a lot of work left for Faythe and more to learn about her rather large family.

Final conclusion
A fantastic story about werecats, full of emotional drama, action and revenge.

More about the shifter series can be found on Rachel's website

If you liked this, another werecat book to try is Heart's Sentinel by PJ Schnyder

What are you reading? #41

What are you reading on Monday? is a weekly meme hosted by Rachel at Home Girl's Book Blog where you post books completed last week and plans for upcoming books. Jump over to her blog and see who else is participating.

Books I've read this week:

 


Urban Fantasy
(Last book in the series, excellent and I want to read the rest. Shapeshifters are in!)




Children's Fiction
(Sweet story with so much passion for skating.)





Urban Fantasy
(New slant on vampire stories...)




Children's Fiction
(The next book is on my TBR pile!)



Children's Fiction
(Leading a double life is hard!)




 YA/Paranormal
(More vampires!)





Young Adult
(Final in this trilogy!)


Children's Fiction
(Great illustrations - which come to life online! Haven't tried it yet though...)




Children's Fiction
(Charming tale of how much of an impact teachers make on their students.)





Books I hope to read this week



Young Adult
(A very friendly author I know on Twitter...)





YA/Romance
(Part of a blog tour...)



Paranormal
(Part of a blog tour....)




Non-fiction
(...humming Jaws theme tune...)





Non-fiction
(Ancient history fan here!)



Non-fiction
(The lowdown on life as a princess...)




Humor




 
Children's Non-fiction
(I've got an interview coming up with the illustrator - Martin Brown!)



Non-fiction
(I think tissues will be needed...)




 

Non-fiction
(Seeing how I love books with knights in them, I figured I'd better read about them too!)



 

The reason behind this week's reading list is my preparation for England's first National Non-fiction Day on 4th November!! I'll be reviewing non-fiction books all week long. Whatever you read this week, have a good one!


Sunday 24 October 2010

Skate School #3: Stars on Ice by Kay Woodward

September 2010, Usborne Children's Books
224 pages, Paperback,
Review copy

Ice skating, school friendships, mild romance, reality tv

Summary from Usborne Children's books
Things are hotting up at Skate School and Frankie’s got her sights set on gold at the World Championships. She’s also falling for the gorgeous Dylan. When they skate together it’s magic. The problem is that any hint of romance is strictly forbidden by their coach so Frankie and Dylan end up skating with each other in secret…

Nayuleska's thoughts
I settled down to read this I think after a busy day at work, because the last book I read by Kay (Book 1 - I haven't read book 2 yet) was such a fun read. I could tell that although Frankie still hadn't been at skate school long, she'd developed her skills as a skater, and her relationship with her classmates quite a bit from book the end of book one. I loved diving back into her world, experiencing every stumble, smooth glide and imperfect jumps. What makes this term at skate school interesting is that the school is featuring as a skate documentary, to encourage others to skate. The cameras are supposed to only film in certain areas, but desperate for more behind the scenes action, that doesn't always happen. This puts Frankie in a difficult position - I can see what she should have done, but she's still quite young and naturally follows her heart not her head. I guessed why events took a particular turn, but poor Frankie didn't figure this out until it was revealed to her. Her family and friends are brilliant though, supporting her through the tough time of being famous. Frankie's constant rival Scarlett loves being centre stage, and does all she can to get Frankie into trouble. Only it backfires on her, which had me laughing very hard!

I feel that this is a stronger book than book one. The most magical moment was near the end, when a dream comes true for Frankie and her classmates. I was welling up with tears at the excitement and at one point nearly couldn't read on due to the words blurring. Another great part about this book is that slowly, little by little, Frankie gets to see beneath Madame's frosty interior. With every book more about Madame's history comes out, which explains why she has such a vested interest in Frankie. I think I was a little surprised that Frankie wasn't punished too harshly by Madame, but I think in some ways Madame knew there was a limit to how far Frankie could be pushed. She wants her students to do well. Frankie isn't beyond reproach, and does get her share of a rough time in this book.

Final conclusion
This ice filled book will warm your heart, especially now as winter is drawing in. Book #4, Going for Gold is coming out very soon!

Make sure you've read the first book in the Skate School series, Ice Princess

Angel by L.A. Weatherly

1st October 2001, Usborne Children's Books
512 pages, Paperback 
Review copy 

Young Adult, 14+

Angels (yes this is an obvious theme!), occasional extreme danger, teen relationships, being a carer, 

Willow knows she’s different from other girls. And not just because she loves tinkering around with cars. Willow has a gift. She can look into people’s futures, know their dreams, their hopes and their regrets, just by touching them. She has no idea where she gets this power from… But Alex does. Gorgeous, mysterious Alex knows Willow’s secret and is on a mission to stop her. The dark forces within Willow make her dangerous – and irresistible. In spite of himself, Alex finds he is falling in love with his sworn enemy.

Nayuleska's thoughts
There's no doubt that the number of books with angels in them is increasing. They aren't as numerous as vampire books (yet!) but they are just as fun to read. Angel is a nice read. Willow isn't like other girls. She has to care for her mother, and has done for most of her life. Their mother-daughter bond is so strong that in several places in the book I wanted to cry for what Willow has to do with her mother. But it is that bond which stops her being stupid and giving in to the enemy, by getting in contact with her mother when Willow is on the run. For she has to run with Alex - it's either run or die. She doesn't want to die prematurely - who would? She doesn't even understand why is a threat. When she learns that part of the story, understandably she has a lot of mixed emotions about it all. 

Angel is fun because there is a fair amount of danger. At times it gets a little soppy, but in a sweet way. I possibly could have done with a little more action, however the slower times when she and Alex are getting to know each other make later chapters all the more compelling. They both react predictably at times, but that doesn't detract from the read for me. I became interested in Willow's wellbeing. Who she is and why she's seen as a threat is one really cool idea. I'm eager for May 2011 to hurry around so I can find out how her powers will advance. The way Angel ends leaves me thinking that a lot will happen in the next book, Angel Heat.

I think the only thing I wasn't so keen on about the book was the cover. My version was an early version, so didn't have the main cover art (of Willow). I actually prefer the plain version. 

Final conclusion 
Some pretty nifty plot revelations make Willow's life more than a bit interesting to read. 

Check out the website dedicated to Angel here

If you like the sound of this, check out Fallen by Lauren Kate. 

Make sure you check out LA Weatherly's other books, including Child X and Missing Abby. I'm hopefully meeting Lee at one of her book signing events on Wednesday! (Me? Excited? Yes!!!)

Saturday 23 October 2010

Debut launch of Kimber An's SUGAR RUSH

I rarely post about publication dates for book, but Kimber An is special. Aside from being funny, friendly, always ready to give advice, Kimber An was the reason behind Nayu's Reading Corner. I'd always admired Kimber An for being a book reviewer. I'd envied her teetering reading pile. I can't remember how we got onto the topic, but it is this Alaskan writer who nudged me into creating this book review blog. I've never looked back since, not with all the fun I'm having here. 

So I'd like to announce that Kimber An's debut novel, SUGAR RUSH, is now available for purchase! The young adult novel will be reviewed here. Who wouldn't like Orphelia - she's a Trekkie! 



Kimber An's website where there will be an online launch party today 6am to 6pm Alaskan time.

Winners of Concrete Operational

I am pleased to announce the winners for the special boxed set Concrete Operational media pack (include novel, artbook and CD). 

#4: The Ninja Librarian!

#7: Carol!


For now, here's a reminder of what both of you have one. I will head to the post office on Monday, and email you both shortly.









Thanks to everyone who entered. There's a new competition up - UK entrants only (sorry to my lovely international readers, I'll put up a competition for you shortly).

My public pledge with books

I have a very bad habit when it comes to book. It isn't bending the spine (although I do that). It isn't turning over a page corner (yup, I do that too!). It is...

....drum roll...

Reading the last part of the book shortly after starting it.

For the record, I don't read the entire last chapter. Once I establish who my favourite character is, I skim read the last few pages to see if they survive (they usually do since I love the protagonists the best).

In my defence, I do this if life is giving me lemons because some days I want a happy ending.

It has been drawn to my attention, thank you to Cat Clarke, Sarah of Sarah's Book Reviews and Lynsey of UK Book Tours that this is not a good thing to do.

So much so that Cat said she would be very angry at me if I do that to her book. Which somehow got me pretty scared. I like Cat. She's bubbly, funny, loves books and is a brilliant cheerleader in whatever I do. I don't want to get her mad.

I then realised that perhaps although I thought I had good reasons for doing this, they aren't good reasons at all. I mean, I'm a book reviewer. I review books. How is it fair that I peek at the end, and thus denying myself the experience that most, good, readers have? 


I don't peek to the end of a film. I don't skip to the last episode of an anime series to see what happens. Or do I? For every anime I watch, I um look online to see what happens. Sometimes I'm glad, especially in one anime (yet to finish) where my favourite character dies before the end.

I need to break this habit! So, this is my public pledge that I, Nayuleska of Nayu's Reading Corner, will no longer look at the end of a book before I naturally get there.

*squirms*

This is unbelievably hard. I've been doing this for so long.

My friends are trying to come up with a way to ensure that I stick with this pledge. I know I will. Because really I've been cheating.

Suggestions to make sure I do stick with it are welcome. And I made this public for a reason.

So, I do apologise to everyone whose books I have peeked at the end first. I still loved the end when I reached it! I always had fun trying to work out how the characters would reach the end in that state. I was usually surprised at the twists in the story.

Thank you for listening to my pledge and apology. I am a reformed reviewer!

*fingers shake at the attempt to not turn over the last few pages*

EVENT CLOSED Win a copy of Mo-Bot High by Neill Cameron UK ONLY, ends 12pm Saturday 6th November 12pm


Random House Children's Books are providing not one, not two, but three copies of Mo-Bot High for this competition - all of which will be signed!

The rules: one entry per person, UK entries only - sorry for all my international readers. I'm not providing the prize for this one.

The prize: three winners will each win a signed copy of the book!

How to enter: just fill in the form here :)

Deadline: 12pm Saturday 6th November 2010.

Winners will be selected by a random number generator. I will email the winning entrant, and also pass their details on to the publicity team at Random House Children's Books who will sort out sending the prizes.

Author Interview with Neill Cameron

For those of you wanting to find out more behind Mo-Bot High, I'm pleased to present Neill Cameron both author and illustrator of the book (which is a hit on my shelf). 



1) What was the inspiration for creating Mo-Bot High? 

I was at a comics convention a few years ago, doodling to myself, and I doodled a picture of a stroppy-looking schoolgirl with a giant robot. And I thought, y'know, that could work.

And now I suddenly realise that wow, I really need to come up with a more exciting version of that anecdote.

2) The concept of human controlled robots/machines is extremely popular in Japanese anime and manga (my favourite is the classic Sakura Wars). Did these influence you at all in Mo-Bot High?

Absolutely. I'm by no means an expert on the huge area that is Japanese mecha anime and manga - I've seen the first 3Gundam movies, and of course grew up watching Transformers, but that's about it - but it's an aesthetic that I absolutely love. I've been to Japan a couple of times, and both times came back weighed down with toys, model kits and books about giant robots. Of which I couldn't understand a single word, of course, and had no idea what it all meant or even what series any of it was from, but they just looked so cool.

I guess on one level Mo-Bot High looks like a bit of a collation of familiar manga cliches - schoolgirls, giant robots - but what I wanted to do was take some of those elements but try and do them in a way that I hadn't seen done before. So for example, yeah, the characters go to a high school, but it's not a glamorous exotic Tokyo or LA high school, but a regular shabby-looking British comprehensive in some nowhere market town deep in middle England, full of surly dinner ladies, horrible 60's architecture and puke-green corridors. You know, somewhere I could relate to.

(PS I've not seen Sakura Wars - will have to check that out!)

3) Graphic novels, comics and manga in the past have been (and probably to a small extent still are) regarded as being for boys. In creating Mo-Bot High, were you aiming to provide stories that girls would enjoy? 

Totally! As far as I'm concerned, comics - and comics about giant robots in particular, of course - just are awesome, in a universal and non-gendered way, and it seems a shame that - in this country at least - girls should have to miss out on the fun. I was trying to think what would make giant robots more appealing for girls, and that's where things like the fact that they come out of your mobile phone, and you get to customise your robot and choose your own design and colour scheme come from. (Of course, the great thing then is that those ideas aren't just cool for girls, they're cool for everybody. Who wouldn't want to design their own giant robot?)

I was a bit worried that I'd cleverly come up with a concept that would appeal to absolutely nobody - that boys wouldn't want to read it because it was about girls, and that girls wouldn't want to read it because it was about robots - but the response so far has been so terrific that I'm starting to think it may actually have worked out okay.

4) Do you know/are you able to reveal how many books could be in the series? 

I'm going to have to be a bit lame and dodge the direct question there for the time being, sorry! Suffice to say I've got a lot - I mean, really, a LOT - more stories in my head about for Asha and her world, so I'm just really hoping that the first book does well enough that I'll get to tell them!

5) What happens in a typical (if it exists) day's work for you? 

For a freelance artist I actually have a pretty regular work schedule - I get up and get my son dressed and breakfasted, then take him to nursery and get home for a pretty solid 9-to-5 shift of comics-drawing. (Or writing. Or giant-robot-designing. Or whatever it may happen to be that day). I try to be pretty much finished for the day by the time my wife and son get home so that I can actually have an evening off and hang out with them. Before becoming a Dad I used to work through the nights and over weekends much more, so becoming more 9-to-5 was a bit of a strange adjustment. But one for the best, I think.Neill Cameron Illustration | w: www.neillcameron.com  | 
Mo-Bot High - 
Thrilling Titanic Battles from the DFC Library!  www.mobot-high.com

Many thanks to Neill for conducting the interview. Check out the competition to win a signed copy of the book!