Notes of Life

… and I’m currently reading Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton.

Blood Magic follows Silla and Nick as their paths entwine. Silla’s life hasn’t been the same since her parents were murdered and she seems to be the only one who believes that her father isn’t to blame. When a mysterious spell book arrives, written in her father’s handwriting, Silla hopes it will help her prove her father was innocent. As she tries out one of the spells, the newly arrived Nick happens upon her in the cemetery and recognises the magic… the very same kind of magic he left behind years ago.

I’m about a quarter of the way through the book at the moment and I’m enjoying it. It makes me cringe a little when Silla uses her own blood for spells, though!

Check back soon for the review!

The last book I read was Deceived By The Others by Jess Haines. It’s the 3rd book in the H&W Investigations series. I’ve had my signed advanced readers copy of the book since March and I’d been watching it sitting on my shelves since then. I’d been dying to read it since it arrived, but I made myself wait until nearer the release day and the wait was totally worth it! It’s an excellent read and I can’t wait for the next book in the series already!

If you’d like to win a copy of Deceived By The Others, or perhaps one of the first two books in the series, then check out my Deceived By The Others – The Review & Giveaway post and leave a comment there telling me you’re in and which book you’d like. You have until midnight 25th June 2011 (BST) to enter.

I’m not sure what book I’ll choose to read once I’ve finished Blood Magic, but I’ve got plenty to choose from!

What are you reading at the moment? What books to you have lined up to read next?

—————————-

Posted for It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? – Why not join in?!

… but more like “In My Birthday Presents”!

It was my birthday last week and I’m always guaranteed at least one book for my birthday. My friend Sarah and I seem to have an unwritten rule when it comes to birthday and Christmas presents, almost without exception we have a tendancy to buy each other at least one book as a present. This time Sarah gave me The Death Instinct by Jed Rubenfeld. I was also lucky enough to get books from my parents & grandparents, too.

In all, here’s what I got…

I’d already got a couple of Andrew Martin’s Jim Stringer books (see my review for The Lost Luggage Porter), so Mum & Dad completed the collection by giving me The Necropolis Railway, The Blackpool Highflyer, Murder at Deviation Junction, Death on a Branch Line and The Last Train to Scarborough.

My parents also gave me Rob Lowe’s Stories I Only Tell My Friends (I love a good autobiography!), while Nan & Grandad gave me The Maul and the Pear Tree (The Ratcliffe Highway Murders, 1811) by P.D. James & T. A. Critchley.

I also treated myself to a Limited Collector’s Edition of I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett. It’s a hardback book in a sleeve and it has cyan-tinted edges to the pages.

So that’s all the books I’ve had in the past week. Enough to keep me going for quite some time, I expect!

If you’re a fan of urban fantasy books, don’t forget to read my review of Deceived By The Others by Jess Haines and enter my giveaway to win a copy of one of her three H&W Investigations books.

—————————-

Posted for In My Mailbox. Why not join in?!

Author: Jess Haines
Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corp
ISBN: 978-1-4201-1189-7

Shiarra Waynest is back in Deceived By The Others, the third book in the exciting H&W Investigations series. Shia is off on a well-deserved break with her werewolf boyfriend, Chaz. She’s finally ready to get serious and Chaz wants her to meet the rest of the family… in other words, the rest of the pack. Maybe a full-moon weekend in the Catskills is just what she needs after what she’s been through lately… or maybe it isn’t.

Shia and Chaz have barely settled into their cabin when threatening notes start to appear, warning them to go home. With their cabin ransacked, Shia can’t help but investigate. Are the teenage werewolves of the pack pulling pranks or are they really in danger?

Having loved the first two books in the H&W Investigations series, I was eagerly looking forward to Deceived By The Others and Jess Haines certainly didn’t disappoint. If anything, the series is getting better and better and I’m looking forward to what comes next. (There’s a sneak-peek into the fourth H&W book at the end of Deceived By The Others, though that just makes me want to read the fourth book even more, and I know I’ve got to wait).

This time around the story is centred around the Shia, Chaz and the Sunstrikers werewolf pack. We (along with Shia) get to know Chaz a lot better in this book. Though, of course, Royce (the sleek, sophisticated and handsome vampire) shows up in the story too, as a H&W Investigations book just wouldn’t be the same without him!

This is a roller-coaster read of a story with a few unexpected shocks thrown in. It’s thrilling, edge-of-your-seat stuff, with the ability of making you really feel for some characters, whilst making you loath others.

Without giving anything away, the ending isn’t a cliffhanger, but its one that will leave you eagerly awaiting to find out what will happen next as it leads us into the fourth book of the series.

Deceived By The Others is a thrilling addition to the H&W Investigations novels. It had me racing through the pages, as well as having moments of being shocked and emotional.

If you like urban fantasy books, then this is definitely a series I’d recommend. To get the most out of the series, I would definitely recommend reading from the start and going from there. You won’t be disappointed!

Other books in the H&W Investigations series:

1. Hunted By The Others (Read my review)
2. Taken By The Others (Read my review)

Pre-order your copy of Deceived By The Others now!

—————————-

Please note: I received this book free from the author. However, this in no way influenced my opinion of the book.

—————————-

GIVEAWAY! (Ended – Midnight 25th June 2011 – UK time)

So, how would you like a chance to win a copy of one of the H&W Investigation books?! You’ve got a choice of either Hunted By The Others, Taken By The Others or Deceived By The Others. Take your pick!

This giveaway is international, so you’re eligable as long as the Book Depository deliver to your country (they deliver to most, but check here). All you have to do is leave a comment saying you’re in (along with which book you’d like) before midnight 25th June 2011 BST (UK) time. You don’t have to be a follower (though it is appreciated) or anything like that. Everyone’s welcome!

Once picked, I will email the winner and post their name on the blog. The appropriate book will be ordered as soon as I have the winner’s details. However, please note that Deceived By The Others will be pre-ordered and mailed when released.

Author: Cliff McNish
Publisher: Orion
ISBN: 978-1842559932

When Elliot and his brother Ben, along with their dad, move into Glebe House (an old an crumbling mansion), they soon realise they’re not on their own. Sinister events are unfolding and they’re not safe in their own home, but can they escape the clutches of Glebe House and it’s former occupants before it’s too late?

I haven’t read a ghost story in a while, so I thought a young adult book wouldn’t be too scary of a re-introduction to ghost stories. However, The Hunting Ground is quite creepy for a kids book! I guess that’s why it says “Not for younger readers” on the back of the book!

I found the book to start very well, with tension building immediately. I certainly felt a little wary when I put the book down and turned off the light… If anything had made a sound shortly after I’d put the book down, I’d have jumped out of my skin! However, I thought the story faltered a little in the middle and I began to lose a little interest. Thankfully, the pace quickened again in the final third of the book and I found myself racing through it.

Only one thing really bugged me about the book and that was the diary sections. They find pages of a diary belonging to Theo (a boy who once lived at Glebe House) and the diary entries are dotted about the book as and when they are found. Theo’s diary started off being written like a diary would be, but then the writing started to read more like a story would. It was almost as it the story was actually shifting to the first person perspective, rather than reading a diary entry.

All in all, The Hunting Ground is an enjoyable (if slightly scary!) book and is definitely one to give a go.

Buy The Hunting Ground by Cliff McNish from Amazon UK or the Book Depository.

Cliff McNish is a British author, born in Sunderland.

This is the 17th book I’ve read for the British Books Challenge.

—————————-

Please note: I received this book free through the Amazon Vine program in return for a review. However, this has in no way influenced my opinion of the book.

My two cats, Mika & Leo, feature in their very own blog post on author Catherine Ryan Hyde’s website!

Catherine has been doing a number of posts lately showcasing people’s much-loved puppies and kitties, and this week it’s the turn of my two. This isn’t Mika’s first time on Catherine’s blog, he first showed up on there in Catherine’s Pets Under Covers blog post at the end of May.

Catherine Ryan Hyde is a wonderful author and tackles subjects many authors don’t. If you haven’t heard of Catherine Ryan Hyde before then I’m sure you’ll have heard of (or seen) the movie based on a book of hers, Pay It Forward (though not an entirely faithful adaptation). I had the pleasure of reading Second Hand Heart by Catherine last year for the Transworld Summer Reading Challenge, and can whole-heartedly recommend it.

Transworld will be releasing Catherine’s forthcoming book, Don’t Let Me Go, on 29th September. So don’t forget to check out my blog later in the year for my review!

Don’t forget to visit Catherine’s blog and leave a line to say you’ve visited.