This is probably a rather weird blog post, seeing as most people do their bookshelf tours on YouTube. I don't have a YouTube channel, and I don't plan on making one because I'm technologically impaired when it comes to videos and editing software. But I do want to share my book collection with you, because personally, I love bookshelf tours. I love seeing how people arrange their shelves, which books they have, which they liked best. All that good stuff. (I also like using bookshelf tours as a way to find new books and authors to read, so I hope someone manages to get something like that from mine.)

It's a little hard to make out some of the titles, due to glare and how far away I was, in order to fit everything in, so I'll quickly run down what's on each shelf for you. I also have a lot of stuff on my shelves (as you can see) but I won't get into that, as most of it is obvious and the rest isn't very interesting. But if you are curious about something, let me know and I'll tell you. 

Bookcase 1

Shelf 1: Paranormal, supernatural and a little fantasy

Marked by P.C. and Kristin Cast
Betrayed by P.C. and Kristin Cast
Chosen by P.C. and Kristin Cast
Untamed by P.C. and Kristin Cast
Hunted by P.C. and Kristin Cast
Tempted by P.C. and Kristin Cast
Burned by P.C. and Kristin Cast
Awakened by P.C. and Kristin Cast
Destined by P.C. and Kristin Cast
Dark Secrets: Legacy of Lies and Don't Tell by Elizabeth Chandler
Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
Fallen by Lauren Kate
Torment by Lauren Kate
Evermore by Alyson Noel
Blue Moon by Alyson Noel
Shadowland  by Alyson Noel
Dark Flame by Alyson Noel
Fated by Alyson Noel
Echo by Alyson Noel
Mystic by Alyson Noel
Snow White and the Huntsman by Lily Blake

 Shelf 2: Fantasy (and a little more paranormal)

Night World Volume 1 by L.J. Smith

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

Forever by Maggie Stiefvater

The Field Guide by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black

The Seeing Stone by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black

Lucinda's Secret by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black

The Ironwood Tree by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black

The Wrath of Mulgarath by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman

The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

 Shelf 3: More fantasy, dystopian and maybe science-fiction?

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan

The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan

The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan

The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan

The Demigod Files by Rick Riordan

 The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan

The Red Pryamid by Rick Riordan

The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan

The Serpent's Shadow by Rick Riordan

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

The World of The Hunger Games by Kate Egan

The Hunger Games Tribute Guide by Emily Seife

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Slated by Teri Terry

 Shelf 4: More dystopian, science fiction and some horror

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Pretties by Scott Westerfeld

Specials by Scott Westerfeld

Extras by Scott Westerfeld

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

The Host by Stephenie Meyer

Thor: The Dark World Junior Novel by Tomas Palacios

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

The Shining by Stephen King

Firestarter by Stephen King

It by Stephen King

Misery by Stephen King

Insomnia by Stephen King

Cell by Stephen King

Joyland by Stephen King

Thinner by Stephen King (writing as Richard Bachman)

The Wind Through the Keyhole by Stephen King

The House at the End of the Street by Lily Blake

The Cabin in the Woods by Tim Lebbon
Breathe by Cliff McNish

 Shelf 5: One last horror, lots of historical fiction and a pinch of contemporary

The Woman in Black by Susan Hill

Fleshmarket by Nicola Morgan

At the Sign of the Sugared Plum by Mary Hooper

Petals in the Ashes by Mary Hooper

The Remarkable Life and Times of Eliza Rose by Mary Hooper

At the House of the Magician by Mary Hooper

By Royal Command by Mary Hooper

The Betrayal by Mary Hooper

Fallen Grace by Mary Hooper

Velvet by Mary Hooper

The Disgrace of Kitty Grey by Mary Hooper

A Dreadful Murder: The Mysterious Death of Caroline Luard by Minette Walters

The Pleasures of Men by

Dissolution by C.J. Sansom

The Emperor's Spy by M.C. Scott

The Coming of the King by M.C. Scott

The Eagle of the Twelth by M.C. Scott

Spartacus: The Gladiator by Ben Kane

Hannibal: Enemy of Rome by Ben Kane

The Forgotten Legion by Ben Kane

The Silver Eagle by Ben Kane

The Road to Rome by Ben Kane

Ali's Pretty Little Lies by Sara Shepard

Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard

 Bookcase 2

Shelf 1: Contemporary and realistic/psychology related fiction

Flawless by Sara Shepard

Perfect by Sara Shepard

Unbelievable by Sara Shepard

Pretty Little Secrets by Sara Shepard

Wicked by Sara Shepard

Killer by Sara Shepard

Heartless by Sara Shepard

Wanted by Sara Shepard

Twisted by Sara Shepard

Ruthless by Sara Shepard

Stunning by Sara Shepard

Burned by Sara Shepard

Looking for Alaska by John Green

Paper Towns by John Green

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

A Sea Change by Veronica Henry

Go Ask Alice by Anonymous (Beatrice Sparks)

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

 Shelf 2: More realistic/psychology related fiction and Lemony Snicket

Shift by Em Bailey

Stolen: A Letter to my Captor by Lucy Christopher

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Skinny by Ibi Kaslik

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick

The Lovely Bones by Alice Seabold

The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket

The Reptile Room by Lemony Snicket

The Wide Window by Lemony Snicket

The Miserable Mill by Lemony Snicket

The Austere Academy by Lemony Snicket

The Ersatz Elevator by Lemony Snicket

The Vile Village by Lemony Snicket

The Hostile Hospital by Lemony Snicket

The Carnivorous Carnival by Lemony Snicket

The Slippery Slope by Lemony Snicket

The Grim Grotto by Lemony Snicket

The Penultimate Peril by Lemony Snicket

The End by Lemony Snicket

 Shelf 3: Graphic novels and... not a lot else

The Walking Dead: Days Gone Bye by Robert Kirkman and Tony Moore

The Walking Dead: Miles Behind Us by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard and Cliff Rathburn

The Walking Dead: Safety Behind Bars by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard and Cliff Rathburn

The Walking Dead: The Heart's Desire by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard and Cliff Rathburn

 Shelf 4: George R.R. Martin and library books

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin

A Storm of Swords: Steel and Snow by George R.R. Martin

A Storm of Swords: Blood and Gold by George R.R. Martin

A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin

A Dance With Dragons: Dreams and Dust by George R.R. Martin

A Dance With Dragons: After the Feast by George R.R. Martin

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

Crewel by Gennifer Albin

Throne of Glass Sarah J Maas

The Waking World by Tom Huddleston

The Golem and the Djinni by Helene Wecker

The Walking Dead: This Sorrowful Life by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard and Cliff Rathburn

Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen

The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub

 Shelf 6: Big books, world records and a bunch of magazines

Inside HBO's Game of Thrones by Bryan Cogman

The Hunger Games: Official Illustrated Movie Companion by Kate Egan

Catching Fire: Official Illustrated Movie Companion by Kate Egan

The Cabin in the Woods: Official Visual Companion by Joss Whedon

All the Things We Didn't Say by Sara Shepard

The Woman Who Went to Bed for a Year by Sue Townsend (it is there, you just can't see it)

So there we have it. My bookcases, minus one shelf as there are no books on it, only college things and a few dusters. I hope someone enjoyed this! Let me know if you own/have read any of these books, or if you want to read any of them.

2013 End of Year Book Survey

This fantastic survey was created by The Perpetual Page Turner

1. Best Book You Read In 2013? (If you have to cheat — you can break it down by genre if you want or 2013 release vs. backlist)
Contemporary YA – Shift by Em Bailey or Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Dystopian/Post-Apocalyptic – The Walking Dead: Days Gone Bye by Robert Kirkman (graphic novels count, right?)

Historical Fiction – Fallen Grace by Mary Hooper (technically this was a re-read, so if that doesn't count, Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen)

Paranormal — Mystic by Alyson Noel

Science Fiction — Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Fantasy — A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin, hands down (A Storm of Swords: Blood and Gold or A Dance With Dragons: After the Feast if you want to get specific)

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?
Divergent by Veronica Roth

3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2013? 
Probably City of Bones by Cassandra Clare. I thought I was going to hate it so much, but I wound up actually enjoying it. Sure, it's not the best book but it was okay. 

4. Book you read in 2013 that you recommended to people most in 2013?
I don't really recommend books to people, but I feel like I've mentioned a lot of Mary Hooper's historical fiction books a fair amount. I know I recommended The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath to a few people and A Song of Ice and Fire, so those I guess?

5. Best series you discovered in 2013?
I can't say A Song of Ice and Fire again, can I? I'm going to go with The Spiderwick Chronicles by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black for this one.

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2013?
Philip Pullman. I tried reading His Dark Materials years ago but couldn't get into it at all, but this year (after finding a gorgeous hardcover edition) something changed and I really enjoyed it. So I definitely want to check out some of his other work.

7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you?
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. I don't normally read contemporary, romance or books about ill characters, so it was out of my comfort zone in that sense. But also in the sense that I wasn't comfortable reading it due to how little I enjoyed it and how close to home it hit.

8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2013?
Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare. It was so much better than Clockwork Angel, and goddamn the cliffhanger ending!

9. Book You Read In 2013 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?
 A Song of Ice and Fire

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2013?
His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman, The Disgrace of Kitty Grey by Mary Hooper and The Wind Through the Keyhole by Stephen King.

11. Most memorable character in 2013? 
Rick Grimes from The Walking Dead, Will Scarlet from Scarlet, Jem Carstairs from The Infernal Devices, Zoey Redbird from House of Night, Apophis from The Kane Chronicles. There are so many characters that stuck out to me this year, not all for the right reasons though.

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2013?
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater.

13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2013? 
I know I've already said Shift and Speak, but I'm going to say them again. Skinny by Ibi Kaslik and Uglies by Scott Westerfeld did as well, even though I felt a little disappointed by them.

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2013 to finally read? 
The At the House of The Magician trilogy by Mary Hooper. I got those books years ago and I don't know why I put them off for so long because I did really enjoy them. They also got me back into historical fiction which is great, even if it means I have an entire to-read list for that genre now.

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2013?

“Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness. Armour yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you.” 

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2013?
Quick note: I've excluded all the e-books I read this year, as Goodreads lists many of them as having 0 pages (what??) and, generally, the pages on my iPad don't match with the page count listed on Goodreads.

Longest - His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
Shortest - Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J.K. Rowling

17. Book That Had A Scene In It That Had You Reeling And Dying To Talk To Somebody About It? (a WTF moment, an epic revelation, a steamy kiss, etc. etc.) Be careful of spoilers!
Basically the end of Joyland by Stephen King. I knew what was going to happen right at the very end, and who the killer was, but when I found out I was still... shocked, for lack of a better word.

18. Favorite Relationship From A Book You Read In 2013 (be it romantic, friendship, etc).
Romance – Tessa and Jem from The Infernal Devices. I just... I need to read Clockwork Princess. Like, now.

Friendship – Aria, Hanna, Emily and Spencer from Pretty Little Liars

Familial — Jared, Simon and Mallory from The Spiderwick Chronicles. If I had brothers and sisters, I'd want them to be like them. 

19. Favorite Book You Read in 2013 From An Author You’ve Read Previously
Either Joyland by Stephen King or Fallen Grace by Mary Hooper. Or maybe The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan.

20. Best Book You Read In 2013 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else
Again, probably Joyland by Stephen King. I know I keep mentioning the same books a lot, but I don't get book recommendations a lot, and I wasn't going to pick this one up because I'm not really a fan of books set in the past but not the past past, like historical fiction. Plus, all the other books I read based solely on recommendation were rubbish (*cough* Divergent, The Fault in Our Stars, Thirteen Reasons Why, The Great Gatsby *cough*).

21. Genre You Read The Most From in 2013?
Definitely young adult. And within that, probably fantasy/dystopian/paranormal. Although I've read a fair amount of historical fiction as well.

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2013?
I don't really know, in all honesty. Can I just go with the Targaryen siblings from A Song of Ice and Fire? 

23. Best 2013 debut you read?
Now, I'm not sure if I've actually read any debut books this year, but I don't really pay attention to publishing dates, so who knows? (If someone does know if any of the books I've mentioned on my blog or on my Goodreads are debuts, please, let me know.)

24. Most vivid world/imagery in a book you read in 2013?
Middle Earth from J.R.R. Tolkien's The Fellowship of the Ring. While I didn't really enjoy it, I can't fault the description and overall world building.

25. Book That Was The Most Fun To Read in 2013?
The Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan were quick, fun reads.

26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2013?
I don't really cry at books, but Clockwork Prince and Joyland definitely had me on the verge of tears.

27. Book You Read in 2013 That You Think Got Overlooked This Year Or When It Came Out?
Shift by Em Bailey. I started this survey with this book so I'm going to end with it. I just cannot sing it's praises enough. Everything about it was great, I've never read anything like it and I really enjoyed Olive as a character. I just think everyone should read it and then come talk to me about it, okay?

Book Haul: Christmas Edition

Merry Christmas!

Or happy holidays to those of you that don't celebrate Christmas! Or just hello to those of you that don't celebrate anything! I hope you've had a wonderful, regardless of what you do or don't celebrate, and I hope the people who do celebrate gift giving holidays enjoyed themselves and got what they wanted. 

I know I am technically a day late for Christmas, but with everything going on I never got the chance to get on and post yesterday. But whatever, I'd still like to share the books I go with you, so here goes:

Some of these I did purchase myself (with Christmas money, so they still count) and some of these I have already read, but there we go! I'm very, very pleased with both my gifts and my purchases, as I have a lot of quick, interesting reads. The only downside is, it looks like my homework will be taking a back seat while I work my through these. Oh well, I'm sure I'll find the time.

So, yeah. Christmas book haul. Let me know if you got any new books for Christmas, or if you've read any of these!

Book Haul: Library Edition

So, firstly, I want to apologise for the lack of reviews - and just posts in general, I guess. I have been reading a lot lately, but I just haven't really wanted to make blog posts, and every time I've tried to write a decent book review I've been stuck for words, and I don't really like just writing 'it was great, the characters were nicely developed and the plot was strong' if I can help it. I've actually been meaning to turn a few booktube tags into blog posts, but haven't really gotten round to it. Maybe I'll do some in the holidays and queue them or something. Or maybe not...

But anyway, back on topic. 

My local library has recently announced that it's going to be closing until May - that's right, May 2014 - to have it's lights refitted (or something like that). Normally, this wouldn't be a problem for me, but I've started using my library more since I started college, so I was a little disappointed at the news. Luckily, the amount of books you can take out at once has been increased by almost 10. For the next couple of months, you're allowed to have 36 books out at once which is kind of amazing.

Obviously, I took advantage of this and grab a whole bunch of books (though not quite as many as some of you may be expecting) to read over the coming months, with the hopes that I'll find some more authors to read and just to, y'know, read new stuff.

Now without further ado, I bring you the books:

I've actually already read Hawkeye: My Life as a Weapon, The Avengers, Clockwork Prince and The Talisman and now I'm on Scarlet. 

I can't promise any review posts soon because I'm just not in a reviewing mood these days, but I will say keep your eyes open, as there could be another book haul post on its way.

Book Review: Joyland by Stephen King

Joyland
Stephen King
Genre(s): mystery, crime, horror
Published: June 4th 2013
Pages: 283
Rating: 4 stars

“Set in a small-town North Carolina amusement park in 1973, Joyland tells the story of the summer in which college student Devin Jones comes to work as a carny and confronts the legacy of a vicious murder, the fate of a dying child, and the ways both will change his life forever.”

Joyland is probably one of the best books I've read this year. But, as it's coming from Stephen King, I'd really expect nothing less.

I only have two complaints (which is amazing for me) that are preventing me from giving this book five out of five stars. Those are: it wasn't the crime novel I was expecting and the pacing could have used some work.

Stephen King is my go-to author when I want to read an 'adult' book or a horror story, so I was expecting Joyland to be really well written, very enjoyable and maybe even a little creepy. (Of course, it ticked all three boxes.) I was aware that it was more of a crime/thriller novel than a horror one when I started, and I was fine with that. I enjoy thrillers. What I did have a little problem with is how the crime and mystery took a bit of a back-seat. While I did enjoy reading about Devin and the approach King had taken to tell his story (flashbacks often have the tendency to go horribly wrong, I've found, but this worked), I was left wondering 'when's the mystery going to be solved? I thought this was supposed to be all about the crime.'

I also felt that the build-up, while easy and enjoyable to read, took too long. When I was half-way through and nothing much had happened I did start doubting. But Joyland is under 300 pages, so I guess that was bound to happen. I don't know.

Complaints aside, I did thoroughly enjoy King's latest novel. 

The mystery was interesting and just when you thought you'd figured out the killer everything changed. I will admit, I did guess whodunit after a certain line (which I won't mention because it really is the tipping point if you're already on the edge of solving it), but I still wasn't expecting it because the character was just so darn nice. I flew through the last twenty or so pages, too impatient for the drama and killer reveal and the consequences that followed. And the ending... Wow. I knew what was coming yet it still hit me hard. It was an almost sweet ending to a book that was about anything but.

I feel like I haven't done Joyland any justice with my ramblings, and it does sound like I came away with more negatives than positives, but that is not the case at all. 

I highly recommend this book. To Stephen King fans, to fans of the 1970s, to fans of whodunit mysteries. To everyone.

Book Review: The Walking Dead: Days Gone Bye by Robert Kirkman

The Walking Dead: Days Gone Bye
Robert Kirkman
Genre(s): graphic novel, horror, post-apocalyptic
Published: September 26th 2006
Pages: 144
Rating: 4 stars

“The world we knew is gone. The world of commerce and frivolous necessity has been replaced by a world of survival and responsibility. An epidemic of apocalyptic proportions has swept the globe, causing the dead to rise and feed on the living. In a matter of months society has crumbled: no government, no grocery stores, no mail delivery, no cable TV. In a world ruled by the dead, the survivors are forced to finally start living.”

I've been wanting to read a graphic novel for quite some time, and seeing as I've recently become more than a little involved in The Walking Dead TV series, I figured that this would be the best place to start.

Overall, I did really enjoy this first volume and will definitely be continuing with the series and reading graphic novels in general. It took me a few pages to get the balance between reading and looking at the pictures right, but once I'd got that sorted out I flew through this (seriously, I read it in an hour or two). I also feel that I'm going to be able to enjoy the graphic novels and the TV series as two separate entities. I was aware of the changes made before picking this up, but not to the extents by which they were made. The ending of this volume certainly took me by surprise!

The story telling throughout was very cleverly done as well, although I do feel in places it was a bit out of place. A few times, I found myself flipping back a page to make sure I hadn't missed a page or panel because the next bit of dialogue was jarring in how disconnected it was. (See: Rick talking to the horse he rescues)

That being said, I thought it was a very clever way to introduce character development and back stories without being glaringly obvious. 

My only other complaint is that I felt things happened very quickly. Maybe that's because, unlike a book, you don't have to read a full page of text and the text you do have to read is nearly always dialogue. I just felt that one thing after another after another was happening, and that the pacing was a bit off. However, I felt in some series of the TV show things moved too slowly, so perhaps I'll find a happy medium regarding pacing by combining the two. 

In short: I'll definitely be getting my hands on the next volume as this was an incredibly quick, fun read. The illustrations were done in a really nice style; they weren't too cartoonish but they always weren't overloaded with detail (them being in greyscale was a nice touch too, I found). I'm very excited to see how things play out and how I'll next be surprised. 

Book Review: Skinny by Ibi Kaslik

Skinny
Ibi Kaslik
Genre(s): young adult, realistic fiction, contemporary
Published: December 26th 2007
Pages: 244
Rating: 3 stars

“Holly’s older sister, Giselle, is self-destructing. Haunted by her love-deprived relationship with her late father, this once strong role model and medical student, is gripped by anorexia. Holly, a track star, struggles to keep her own life in balance while coping with the mental and physical deterioration of her beloved sister. Together, they can feel themselves slipping and are holding on for dear life. ”

Skinny is not what I expected.

Holly and Giselle's stories were good, well developed and fairly believable  The book itself was well written and rather enjoyable once I started reading. But it took me forever to get through and I just felt... disappointed.

The main problem I had with it was, together, the stories didn't really go. I liked reading about Giselle and Holly separately, but together they annoyed me. 

I also found the title a little misleading, as even though Giselle does talk about her eating disorder, I felt like it wasn't the main focus of the story and the title, Skinny, makes you think it is. Although, it is mentioned and brought up quite a bit in the second part of the book, you just have to get through all the other, unrelated stuff in the first part.

It's not that Skinny is a bad book, or that I didn't like it, it's that I don't think I was in the right place personally as I was reading it. Maybe I'll revisit it in the future and get more from it, but for now, I'm just a little let down.

What's Next? #3

What's Next?, a weekly meme hosted by Icey Books, is a chance for readers to make a list of 3-5 to be read books that they can't choose from and have their readers come in and vote for which they want to see read next.

The Fellowship of the Ring

J.R.R Tolkein

“Sauron, the Dark Lord, has gathered to him all the Rings of Power – the means by which he intends to rule Middle-earth. All he lacks in his plans for dominion is the One Ring – the ring that rules them all – which has fallen into the hands of the hobbit, Bilbo Baggins.


In a sleepy village in the Shire, young Frodo Baggins finds himself faced with an immense task, as his elderly cousin Bilbo entrusts the Ring to his care. Frodo must leave his home and make a perilous journey across Middle-earth to the Cracks of Doom, there to destroy the Ring and foil the Dark Lord in his evil purpose.”

Torment

Lauren Kate

“Hell on earth.

That's what it's like for Luce to be apart from her fallen angel boyfriend, Daniel.

It took them an eternity to find one another, but now he has told her he must go away. Just long enough to hunt down the Outcasts - immortals who want to kill Luce. Daniel hides Luce at Shoreline, a school on the rocky California coast with unusually gifted students: Nephilim, the offspring of fallen angels and humans.

At Shoreline, Luce learns what the Shadows are, and how she can use them as windows to her previous lives. Yet the more Luce learns, the more she suspects that Daniel hasn't told her everything. He's hiding something - something dangerous.

What if Daniel's version of the past isn't actually true? What if Luce is really meant to be with someone else?”

Clockwork Prince

Cassandra Clare

“In magical Victorian London, orphan Tessa found safety with the Shadowhunters, until traitors betray her to the Magister. He wants to marry her, but so do self-destructive Will and fiercely devoted Jem. Mage Magnus Bane returns to help them. Secrets to her parentage lie with the mist-shrouded Yorkshire Institute's aged manager Alyosius Starkweather.”

Book Review: A Dreadful Murder: The Mysterious Death of Caroline Luard by Minette Walters

A Dreadful Murder: The Mysterious Death of Caroline Luard
Minette Walters
Genre(s): mystery, crime, historical fiction
Published: January 2013
Pages: 125
Rating: 3 stars

“A body is found in the woods . . .
Based on the true story of the shocking murder of Mrs Caroline Luard, which took place in Kent in August 1908.

Caroline Luard is shot dead in broad daylight in the grounds of a large country estate. With few clues available, her husband soon becomes the suspect . . . But is he guilty?”

For such a quick read, I enjoyed this book and wasn't left wanting more at the end.

Things were wrapped up nicely, even though the ending was left open for readers to puzzle over, but no doubt that's how the real murder case was left. No killer was found, so no conclusions could be made. The suspects and motives included in this were all plausible, and I found myself agreeing with the detectives on more than one occasion. The pacing was good, too. Things didn't happen so fast you couldn't fully understand them, which is nice because I find a lot of shorter books tend to be rushed and below average.

A Dreadful Murder was a very quick, very simple but overall very intriguing read.

Book Haul: Birthday Edition

Happy 17th birthday to myself!

In case that wasn't obvious enough, today's my birthday and, naturally, I got some books. So, instead of my typical Wondrous Words Wednesday post, this week I am bringing you a book haul.

I'm really excited to read all of these! Especially Mark of Athena, as I've been waiting the matching cover to be available in paperback since January, and now House of Hades has been released, I can finally try and catch up. I do kind of wish I'd bought The Hobbit as well as the Lord of the Rings trilogy, just so I have everything in that world (because I'm sure I'll enjoy it, I mean, I adored A Song of Ice and Fire) but it was a lot more expensive than I would have thought.

Either way, I'm happy with my purchases and I can't wait to read all of them!