Divine by Mistake by PC Cast

Hey guys :)
Yeah, I haven't been here a lot lately, but I was really busy with writing and had not much time for reading.
But here is what I thought of Divine by Mistake:


Disclaimer: This is just my opinion and I do not dislike the author. I just do not like the first chapters of the book.

Divine By Mistake by P.C. Cast


I was able to get my hands on an extract of this book (only the first four chapters) a few days ago and since I read the HoN series (or well, the first two books) I wanted to check out other work by PC Cast.
So I read the extract and... well, I am not going to rate this book since I can only tell you my opinion on the first four chapters and not on the whole thing.

But honestly? If I had the whole copy at home I would have never gotten further anyway.
I just do not like the Protagonist in this book. I don't like her way of telling the story. For me it was like reading a short story from a school kid and not from a succesful author. I do not know why but I honestly think that Cast's writing stile in this book was not as good as the one they wrote HoN in.
BUT that may be because I read HoN in the original English version and this one in the translated version.

Anyway from what I read so far the story behind the book seems really interesting and I liked the setting, especially after Shannon left the normal world. So this could turn out to be a really good book, I am just not going to read the rest of it, so I may never find out.

Love and Words
KJ

View all my reviews

Diana Wynne Jones: Howl's Moving Castle

Hey there folks!

I know, long time no post ^^° sorry? :P

So, Kim asked me to assist her and write a blog post. No more details, you know, just something with books... -.- You know, Kim, best instructions ever! :P

Buuhuuut, I found something, or better: some book I want to tell you something about. I don't believe it is going to be a long post, but I will give my best to present the book to you.

I am talking about one of my favourite book series by one of my favourite authors, but I am only going to write about the first book of the series. And here it is, tadaaaa:

Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones!

First of all, the cover art is awesome! :D I love it, when the cover fits the book ;) Now I will write a little summary.

In the land of Ingary, in a small town there lives Sophie together with her sisters & her stepmother. As the hatter's daughter, she is to take care of her father's business after his death. Sophie leads a very boring life. While one of her sisters is send to a witch outside the town to be her apprentice, and the other one starts working, Sophie has to sit at home and make hats.

One day, the dreaded Witch of the Wasteland comes to the hat shop and since she is not satisfied with the hats Sophie presents her, she bewitches her and the young girl is turned into an old woman. Fearing the reactions of her family members she runs away and after some time she reaches a moving castle. Though uninvited, she enters it and meets Michael, the apprentice of the castle owner, the wizard Howl, and the fire demon Calcifer.

Sophie's own adventure begins and now she has to find a way to get back to normal, which is not that easy, especially since the wizard, the fire demon and the apprentice have their own problems...

It's an incredibly awesome book. It has everything it needs: It is funny, brilliant, creates a very good atmosphere, describes everything in a very beautiful way and the characters really show some development.

Howl for example can be considered as absolutely self-centered, narcistic and annoying, but especially in the end it is really nice to notice the little romantic moods he has sometimes. Believe me, it is heartwarming to 'be part' of his change. Sophie seems totally boring in the beginning, but finally finds herself and it must be some natural talent to deal with Howl and his horrific mood swings :D And Calcifer is so sweet, I would love to have an open hearth like him ;P

I can only recommend to read this book! Just do it!

(I still didn't come up with some good ending phrase … ^^“ I'm so sorry!!)

Instead of the still non-existent phrase I can only tell you:
Heroes are nothing but smoke and mirrors.

So long, Rachel Shelly, still hunting her inner demons

A Madman's Daughter and other debut novels you should check out

Hey everyone :)

So I found this blog by a group of YA authors who will have their first publication in 2013, they call themselves Friday the Thirteeners. So I asked myself to what debut author I am looking forward the most.
And trust me, that was a hard decision to make :D Honestly I am looking forward to all of the Friday The Thirteeners books, and I really hope we will continue to hear a lot about those authors in the future. I wish them all the best for their releases.
But here are my top 3:

1. The Madmans Daugther by Megan Shepherd (Balzer+Bray, Winter 2013)

First: The Cover is georgeous. Second: London, 1864 as the setting? I am in. And most important third: The synopsis sounds like this is going to be an awesome book. I cannot wait till it is finally released :D

"London, 1894. Juliet Moreau has built a life for herself—working as a maid, attending church on Sundays, and trying not to think about the scandal that ruined her life. After all, no one ever proved the rumors about her father’s gruesome experiments. But when she learns her father is alive and continuing his work on a remote tropical island, she is determined to find out if the accusations were true. 

Juliet is accompanied by the doctor’s handsome young assistant and an enigmatic castaway, who both attract Juliet for very different reasons. They travel to the island only to discover the depths of her father’s madness: he has created animals that have been vivisected to resemble, speak, and behave as humans. Worse, one of the creatures has turned violent and is killing the island’s inhabitants. Juliet knows she must end her father’s dangerous experiments and escape the island, even though her horror is mixed with her own scientific curiosity. As the island falls into chaos, she discovers the extent of her father’s genius—and madness—in her own blood."


This is actually the retelling of the classic Island of Dr. Moreau. Have you read it? Are you excited to get your hands on this book?


2.  Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke (Dial/Penguin, Summer 2013)

This actually reminds me of one of my favourite Nightwish songs. Wonder if the authors knows it...
Well here is prove I want to read a book without a georgeous cover. See, I am not only tempted by covers! But I am not saying that the cover for this book is not geourgeous. It just does not have one yet.
Seriously, a dark and mysterious boy the girl falls in love with? My YA-heart is beating faster. The devil is in town? Sounds perfect for me. And the boy is called River! That's a uncommon but beautiful name there.

"Violet's grandmother had warned her about the Devil, had talked about him often, as though he were a best friend, or an old lover. But she never told Violet that the Devil could be real. She never told Violet that the Devil could be a dark-haired boy in vintage clothes who takes naps in the sun and likes old movies and vigilante justice. 

River West is the seventeen-year old stranger renting the guesthouse behind the rotting mansion on the sea, where Violet lives. And as eerie, grim things start happening in Violet's town, she begins to wonder about the boy living in her backyard. Is River just a crooked-smiling, coffee-loving liar with rascally eyes and a mysterious past? Or could he be something else? Something...evil? 

Violet's already so knee-deep in love she can't see straight.

And that's just how River likes it."


3. Insomnia by J.R. Johansson

He is forced to witness the dreams of other people? That's a really interesting concept. And I think it is time that I read a book with a male protagonist again.

"Sixteen-year-old Parker spends every night trapped in the dreams of the last person he made eye contact with, and it’s killing him. He misses soccer practice, falls asleep at the wheel, and his mom thinks he has a drug problem. His exhaustion from never reaching the deeper levels of sleep is getting worse every day, and he knows his time is running out. Until he meets Mia.

Mia’s dreams are the first Parker’s encountered where he can finally get real sleep. A good night of rest after so long is addictive. He has to have it. But getting it means he must follow Mia and find a way to make eye contact every day. Mia is increasingly freaked out, even turning Parker’s best friends against him. To make matters worse, Mia starts to receive threatening e-mails, and her wonderful dreams become scenes of a horror movie—and Parker is cast as the villain. He must discover who is truly tormenting her, and clear his name, before she turns him in for a crime he hasn’t committed–or worse, the true stalker makes good on his threats to end her dreams forever."

What books may 2013 bring you? Let's just hope the world does not go down in december :D Anyway I'm prepared for the Zombies...
To find out more about them and other great debut authors visit their blog. I just love the truth and dare thing they have going on :)

To what debut are you looking forward too?

Love and Words
KJ

All synopsis and cover taken from Goodreads

Clockwork Princess Cover revealed!

OMG! It is finally here. The Cover for Clockwork Princess the last installment in the Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare. And I think it is unbelievable amazing! Seriously! I loved the other two covers (Clockwork Angel and Clockwork Prince) but this one is just gorgeous!
I think those covers are better than the Mortal Instruments covers. We can only hope that the book will be as good as the cover promises. I read about people saying the girl's face would be odd but I like her look. It has something mysterious :) And she remindes me of Natalie Dormer, which I absolutly adore.

I haven't read the Infernal Devices yet. But that is just because I am waiting on them to be published in Paperback here in my home country. (for the sake of my pocket money :D) I am a huge fan of the Mortal Instruments series and I hope I will be hooked with this Spin Off, too.

Are you eager to get your hands on this book? Have you read any of the other books by Cassandra Clare? And if not, what the hell are you waiting for?

(And I just saw a ad vor the City of Bones Movie that will apparently hit theaters in august next year. Today is like fangirl heaven :D
And (again!) I just found out that Cassandra Clare will be publishing a new Shadowhunter series called The Dark Artifacts in 2015. How could I miss this? Here is the synopsis from the official press release: "Set against the glittering backdrop of present-day Los Angeles, the series follows Emma Carstairs, the fiercest warrior and most skilled young Shadowhunter since Jace Wayland, and Emma's sworn partner in arms, Julian Blackthorn. Despite Emma's complicated feelings for Julian, the two must band together to investigate a demonic plot that stretches from the warlock-run nightclubs of the Sunset Strip to the enchanted sea that pounds the beaches of Santa Monica.")


To learn more about Cassandra Clare just click the label with her name and read on :) )

So I'll stare at the cover a little more and leave you guys now :D
Love and Words
KJ

Waiting on... four amazing books Part 2

Aloha :)

So I am currently really busy with writing, working on the Creating a Story project and actually living from time to time. So I do not have time to read a lot. That does not stop my TBR shelf, though, to grow closer and closer. And I do like that a lot :) 

So here are the two newest books on my TBR: 

Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins 

First: I do not want to read this book just because of the cover. But the cover is freaking amazing! When I read the summary I was like, yeah, a dangerous boy falls in love with a good girl. Not that we didn't read that before in a YA book. But this time it's the girl with powers, that's something I do not read that often. And honestly, how can get enough of those love stories?

So since I am a huge fan of angels and demons I have to check this one out. 

Here is the official synopsis taken from Goodreads: 

Embrace the Forbidden
What if there were teens whose lives literally depended on being bad influences 

This is the reality for sons and daughters of fallen angels.
Tenderhearted Southern girl Anna Whitt was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She’s aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but Anna, the ultimate good girl, has always had the advantage of her angel side to balance the darkness within. It isn’t until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage and her willpower is put to the test. He’s the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna. 

Forced to face her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns?

Well the last sentence reminded me a little of Diablo and Fable *cough*
And seriously why are the good girls always blond and the boys dark haired? I do not feel represented :D
But anyway, here is book number two (actually number four, since this is the second part of a little series ;D)

The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross
Steampunk, yay! I just love this genre and I am really glad that it gets more attention these days. And of course, the cover is very beautiful. I am a judgy little girl. I admitt it. BUT I would read this book even if it had no cover at all.
The synopsis is short, but gives me all information I need: Steampunk Setting, heroine with powers, and even better mysterious (hopefully byronic) hero. It's even a series, I love series because I like it when at the end of the story you have something to look forward to.  I want to read it....NOW! :D
It has a cover blurb from one of my favourite authors. What more do you want?
So here is the official synopsis taken from Goodreads:

In 1897 England, 16-year-old Finley Jayne is convinced she's a freak. No normal Victorian girl has a darker side that makes her capable of knocking out a full-grown man with one punch. Only Griffin King sees the magical darkness inside her that says she's special . . . that she's one of "them."

(And between you and me: Kady Cross is an unbelievable pretty name :D)

So that are the newest books on my TBR. How big is yours? Have you anyting new discovered lately?
For more information on what I am reading follow me on Goodreads ;) Or just stay on this blog :P
Love and Words
KJ

Heart of the Dragon _ A Supernatural Novel

Heart of the Dragon by Keith R.A. DeCandido
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Published: 2010
Synopsis (taken from Goodreads): "A Supernatural novel that reveals a previously unseen adventure for the Winchester brothers, from the hit CW series!

When renegade angel Castiel alerts Sam and Dean to a series of particularly brutal killings in San Francisco's Chinatown, they realise the Heart of the Dragon, an ancient evil of unspeakable power, is back! John Winchester faced the terrifying spirit 20 years ago, and the Campbell family fought it 20 years before that - can the boys succeed where their parents and grandparents failed?"
This book captures the charm and witt of the TV series. It is as funny as the series and the characters are as belivable and loveable. You can really imagine your favorite Demonhunters act like they do in this book.
For all fans of the series it will be great to finally find out so much about Mary Winchester, her parents and how she met John. I personally liked the fact, that all three generations of Winchesters fought the same ghost. I liked to compare their acting, family similarities and differences.
I loved reading something about Dean and Sam as children since it explains, especially on Deans side, why he acts the way he does.
For everyone who doesn't know this series I do not recommend this book as a start. Don't get me wrong, everyone should start this series. But Heart of the Dragon will just confuse you if you do not know the background of the last four seasons of Supernatural. All those names, people and events reffered to will surely destroy the fun for anyone who does not know what happened before.
I read and reviewed another Supernatural book called "Witch's Canyon" and as I said there I have to admitt there are some things I did not like.
The book has many details, acting, setting, and everything else. In a normal scene that helps to imagine how it would be in a TV series. But in really thrilling scenes, dark scenes, fight scenes, and most important ghost scenes that just takes the thrill away.

But anyway I still recommend this book to fans of the series who just cannot get enough of the Winchesters. Everyone else should start at the beginning, the first season, not with this book.

Love and words
KJ
View all my reviews

Waiting on... four books you should check out Part 1

Aloha :)

So I just realized how long it has been since I last posted a "Waiting on...". But there are so many books out there I cannot wait to get my hands on. And you are readers so you'r TBR shelf is probably as big as mine.
I scanned my on TBR shelf and several listopia lists to find out, which book I'm most excited about to read. And what did I get? Of course another long lists of books... So what should I do?
I decided to start somewhere in the middle of my shelf and here is what I found for you:

Of Poseidon by Anna Banks
This is Anna Banks debut novel. It was published this year in may. I love the cover. And it sounds interesting. I read some reviews and some people said it was wonderful while others hated it. I like to make up my own opinion so I'm definitely checking this one out: (Synopsis taken from Goodreads)

Galen is the prince of the Syrena, sent to land to find a girl he's heard can communicate with fish. Emma is on vacation at the beach. When she runs into Galen — literally, ouch! — both teens sense a connection. But it will take several encounters, including a deadly one with a shark, for Galen to be convinced of Emma's gifts. Now, if he can only convince Emma that she holds the key to his kingdom . . . Told from both Emma and Galen's points of view, here is a fish-out-of-water story that sparkles with intrigue, humor, and waves of romance.

Anyway I am always for discovering new authors. So this is on my TBR shelf, will it find it's way onto yours?
And here comes the next one:

Illuminate by Aimee Agresti
This book was published early this year but since I was in my exams during that time I discovered it just a few weeks ago. Is it just me or are the covers getting more amazing with each year? I think it's really hard to find a cover that does not look unbelievable pretty... But anywaym I think the synopsis sounds like this may be a fresh tale about the things we all know and love to read about. A girl falls in love with a mysterious stranger. But this time it's a little bit different. See for yourself (synopsis taken from Goodreads):

Haven Terra is a brainy, shy high school outcast. But everything begins to change when she turns sixteen. Along with her best friend Dante and their quiet and brilliant classmate Lance, she is awarded a prestigious internship in the big city— Chicago—and is sent to live and work at a swanky and stylish hotel under the watchful eyes of a group of gorgeous and shockingly young-looking strangers: powerful and alluring hotel owner Aurelia Brown; her second-in-command, the dashing Lucian Grove; and their stunning but aloof staff of glamazons called The Outfit.

As Haven begins falling for Lucian, she discovers that these beautiful people are not quite what they seem. With the help of a mysterious book, she uncovers a network of secret passageways from the hotel’s jazz-age past that leads her to the heart of the evil agenda of Aurelia and company: they’re in the business of buying souls. Will they succeed in wooing Haven to join them in their recruitment efforts, or will she be able to thwart this devilish set’s plans to take the souls of her classmates on prom night at the hotel? Illuminate is an exciting saga of a teen’s first taste of independence, her experience in the lap of luxury, and her discovery she may possess strength greater than she ever knew.

So thats it for today. I do not want this post to be as long as the last ones. On the next Waiting on I will introduce you to  Sweet Evil and The Girl In the Steel Corset.
Have you read any of this books? If you have, can you recommend any?

Love and Words
KJ

Shades of Earth Cover reveal

Hello guys :)

 Today Wired posted the new covers for the Across the Universe series by Beth Revis. There is a new cover for Across the Universe and the follow up A Million Suns. But fans of the series may be more interested in the fact that Wired revealed the cover for the third book Shades of Earth.
 To see all the covers and read the entire article about the series visit the official Wired site.

For all who do not know the series here is the synopsis taken from Goodreads.

"A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder. 

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone-one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship-tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming. "

This is actually the third cover Across the Universe gets. Since you all know that I love to compare covers, which cover do you like more? The first one (in the upper right corner), the second one (on the left) or the new one?
I presonally like the first one the most :)

And always remember: You cannot judge a book entirely on it's cover.
Have you read one of those books? Did you like it?

Love and words
KJ

My Crushes on Male Book Characters - Rachel Style...

....Homies! :)

Sooooooooooo.... I was asked to create a post with MY book crushes :) And I guess, I'm gonna do that now and will start my list with the words: 'Mission completed!'

5. Starting with the last one of the ranking, I'm going to introduce to you:
   Draco Malfoy from the Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling!
   I know it sounds odd that he's supposed to be one of my book crushes, but he actually is! And to be honest, I had a hard time deciding between Draco and Snape, but since I'd prefer Snape as an uncle or such thing, I didn't think he was fitting the list :P
   Draco Malfoy is your average badass guy: He's cocky (Oh, hell yeah, he IS!), rich (who would figured that one?) and thinks he's the best. His parents seem pretty much messed up and they totally failed in raising their son. He is blonde and mean, and it seems like he actually had to pay the people around him to act like friends.
   But did you ever try to see the other side of him? Hello? In the first book he asked the great Harry Potter to join his clique! Isn't that a sign of insecurity?? The point I really suffered with him was when Harry cut him open with that stupid spell he'd found. Stupid Harry! Malfoy's crying scene in the 6^th movie was very convincing too, and since I always fall for the boys / men I can pity, he had me at a sob. :3 
   
   
   3. We'll continue with the 3^rd place, because I couldn't decide and now there are two persons ranked third. And I'll try to be more precise and less talkative now :D
   Maurice Micklewhite from the trilogy Lycidas, Lilith & Lumen by Christoph Marzi (no shame if you don't know him → he's a German author)
   Maurice is an elf with stereotype blonde hair, green-blue eyes and that cute ears I fancy so much ^^. Despite that, he's the smartest elf I know. He knows EVERYTHING! And if he doesn't know something, he only needs a few hours to find out! Furthermore, he is very polite and nice and always there when you need him. And he lives in the National Library of London. Yes, you've heard right! I want to live there, too *-* Together with him <3
   &
   Marquis de Posa from Don Carlos by Friedrich Schiller
   He.Is.Awesome! He is the perfect mix of personal belief in freedom and justice & a classical character. Unfortunately, he loses the passion for his aims for a little while, because he seems too consumed by the power that is given to him. And that's his end. He gets shot. Poor Posa. :( But nevertheless he is a brilliant character and if he wasn't part of the Malteser order I would totally marry him! 
   
   
   2. Glorfindel from The Lord of the Rings – The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
   I cannot believe that they let Arwen take over Glorfindel's part in the first movie! That's blasphemy! Glorfindel is on the one hand charming and seems very juvenile, which is very delighting, and on the other hand he can get so serious and always knows how to handle the situation. Plus, he rescues the Hobbits & Aragon. And he's an elf. And blonde. With loooooooong hair. Doesn't that make him perfect enough? :3 
   
   
   1. The one and only:
   Howl from Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones!
   He's blonde (once again... why do I always fall for the blonde guys??), he's a sorcerer, he has a deal with a fire demon AND he has a walking castle. Hello? Coolness level 1,000,000? :) Howl comes from a faraway land (I'm not gonna spoil right now!) and is very narcistic.
   Quote (when he had a cold): 'Help! I'm dying of neglect up here!'
   He's annoying in a very lovely way and his conversations with others are always funny and so is the whole book. Howl just deserves the title of „Rachel's top male Book Character Crush“!

So, that was it from me for now! I apologize for the long explanations, but I really needed to defend my opinion on Draco :P See you soon and beware of wild animals!

Remember, there's always a toilet to flush! (I'm gonna work on a better signature, I promise :P)

R.S.

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

First published: 1868

Official summary from Goodreads: “In this harrowing tale of good and evil, the mild-mannered Dr. Jekyll develops a potion that unleashes his secret, inner persona—the loathsome, twisted Mr. Hyde”   

Edition used published by: Penguin Books

Before I start this review, I have to admit that I did not read the normal version of this story but a slightly shorted one I found on my shelf back from the days when I started to learn and read English.

Well, I have to say that the story itself was not a really thrilling story in a normal way. But that may be because I already knew what it was about. I was not able to wonder together with the Protagonist Utterson about the strange behaviour of his friend Dr. Hyde, since I already new about his secret.
That problem occurs with many classics. It is hard to read a story the same way you read every story if you already know the ending.

But besides that little problem I can completely understand why this book belongs into the section of classics.
Just like Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley it asks questions many people are afraid to ask. How far is science allowed to go? Should humanity arise over the rules of nature and become its’ own god? Those questions were important back when Stevenson wrote his novel and today, were new technically devices and a growing medicine are part of our everyday life, have become even more important.
Dr Jekyll is struggling with his dark side, which comes to life as the evil and ruthless Mr Hyde. Jekyll questions himself, as who should he continue?
Everyone gets to a point where the question of who we really are and what makes us into who we are is really important and keeps us up at night. Stevenson is able to pack that question into a dark tale that guides you to the core of the human soul. A journey into the darkest parts of yourself.

I’m a huge fan of Stevenson’s writing. I loved Treasure Island and I liked how he sometimes became so poetically in his choice of words.
For example this paragraph was in my opinion really beautiful:

“[…] my heart sinks and my hands tremble on the possibility of you failing me. Think of me at this hour, in a strange place, in darker hopelessness than any fancy could describe, but knowing that, if you will help me, my troubles will roll away like a story that is told.”

How beautiful does that sound?
Though I have to admit that I liked Treasure Island even more I still think that this book was written in a good style.
The plot was clearly lined out and easy to follow, the characters were believable. Though I have to point out that the dark atmosphere, though present, was not as imaginable as I would have fancied. But that may be because of the shortened version I read.

Have you read this book? What were you thinking about it?
Love and Words
KJ

View all my reviews

My favourite heroines of all time

Hey guys :)

Do you remember the post about my literary crushes? You can re-read it here.

I thought about doing such a list again. But talking about fictional boys could get really boring. (No I don’t think so :D )

So I decided to make a “My top 5 favourite Heroines in books”

I as a girl love heroines that kick ass, stand their ground and go their way no matter which obstacles they have to pass. So it should have been easier picking five girls than it was with the boys, right? Especially, after I read so many books with heroines.

But it wasn’t that easy. Turns out you need to be a lot better if you want to convince me as a heroine than you need to be as a fictional crush.

Anyway here comes my list of the five best heroines (in my opinion) from book world: 

1. Arya Stark (A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin)

Who she is: Arya is one of the POV characters from George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series. Ary is the daughter of Lord Eddard Stark and nine years old (well, at the beginning :D) She has four brothers and one sister.

She fights with a sword and travels the realm of Westeros to help her family win the game of thrones. She is not a real Lady for she likes to fight, picks on her sister and she refuses to marry a lord when she comes of age.

Arya is accompanied by her friends Gendry and Hotpie, together they travelled with the night’s watch and escaped the Lannister man. Arya killed someone ones in her life, to safe herself, while her father was attacked. And later on she had a deal with an assassin to safe herself again. You never know what adventure she will drawn into next.

Why I like her: Arya does not act like she should. She refuses to behave like a lady as her sister does. She fights for her life, owns a sword called Needle and is completely cute doing so. She is one of my favourite characters from ASOIF, besides Daenerys (who is btw a kick ass heroine, too:) )

I loved her in the books and I even more love her in the TV series.

2. Safron (The Dust of 100 Dogs by A.S. King)

Who she is: Safron was a young irish girl that flew to paris and landed on a ship on it’s way to the caribic. She became a famous pirate and stole a great treasure. But while she was burying it Safron was cursed by her arch enemy’s lover with the dust of 100 dogs. So Safron lived 100 lifes as a dog (or you know, as 100 different dogs) before she was reborn in modern America. So now Safron is on a quest to get back her treasures.

Why I like her: Because she fights for what she believes is hers and never backs down.

3. Chloe Saunders (Darkest Powers by Kelley Armstrong)

Who she is: Chloe used to believe in boogy man as a little girl. She did not just thought that they were real she saw them. But that were only fantasies of a little girl, right?

In High School Chloe starts to see ghosts again. Real ghosts. Everyone thinks she is mentally ill so she gets send off to a group home for people like her. Turns out those people are a werewolf, a sorcerer, and a witch. Because Chloe is a necromancer, she can see and even raise the dead. But if that wasn’t enough for one girl the group home was founded by a mad scientist who founded a company, too. A company that messed around with the genetics of people like Chloe. A company her mother and aunt seem to be related, too.

Why I like her: Because she would do anything for her friends. And though she gets betrayed by someone she loves she continues to fight for her right (to paaarty XD). And her powers are just awesome!

4. Lucy (Lucy in the Sky by Paige Toon)

Who she is: Lucy is a modern women who has everything she ever wanted. A lovely fiancé, a great job and now her two best friends from her childhood days are getting married. So Lucy gets on a plane to fly to Australia her childhood home. A few minutes before the plane starts she looks on her mobile phone for the last time in hours. While the “turn of your mobiles” sign blinks Lucy reads a text message from her fiancé. A message claiming to come from a unknown woman who just slept with Lucy’s fiancé.

So Lucy sets off to a journey around the world. A journey were she will encounter what love, friends and family really means and to find out if the perfect life she has is really that good…

Why I like her: Because she’s a modern day woman who tries to go her way. And though she sometimes does not seem to succeed she continues on.

5. Maggie (Inktrilogy by Cornelia Funke)

Who she is: Maggie is a young girl, whose mother disappeared years ago. She lives in a little house with her father Mo and hundreds of books. Maggie grew up with books and she loves nothing more than a good story.

But one rainy night a mysterious man called Dustfinger appears at her door. A man, her father knows from long ago. Dustfinger claims that he lived in a different world before her father read him out of a book called Inkheart. Finally Maggie learns why her father never read a story out loud to her: Everything Mo reads comes to life. And for every character that comes out of the book someone from our world gets pulled into the book. That’s why Maggie’s mother disappeared.

So Maggie sets out on an adventure to find her mother and defeat the villains that came with Dustfinger out of the world of Inkheart.

Why I like her: Because she was the first heroine I ever saw as a role model. And though she was really young during her adventures she was brave and intelligent. I loved Cornelia Funke’s story since Maggie reminded me so much of myself. I wish I could read myself into a book and I really love to read as much as she does.

And here, for comparison is Rachel’s list:

1. Smilla Jaspersen (Miss Smilla’s Feeling for Snow by Peter Hög)
   Why she likes her: “Smilla is just not your stereotype of heroine – she’s grown up, very intelligent, awesome and she takes what she wants.”

2. Jane Rizzoli (Rizzoli&Isles by Tess Gerritsen)
   Why she likes her: “Jane is amazingly cool in the TV series, but in the books she just kicks ass! And she reminds me of me just a little too often ;)”

3. Recha (Nathan the Wise by G.E. Lessing)
   Why she likes her: “She is just the smart one in the whole drama and: come on, she’s Nathan’s “daughter”, she HAS to be a great heroine!”

4. Lady Amalthea (The last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle)
   Why she likes her: “One word: awesome! The most beautiful and poetic book character I’ve ever known – she was a great part of my childhood.”

5. Sophie (Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones)
   Why she likes her: “In the beginning (meaning in the first book) she is a very ordinary girl, but with a great sense of black humour and the natural talent of dealing with Howl (the number one on my list of favourite male book characters ;P)”

While I was working on this list, I read Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. And in the fourth Chapter a girl appears, only a side character. And there was one line that, in my opinion, shows what a heroine should not be like: “At the horror of these sights she faded”

How can she fade, if someone interesting is going on? Do not fade, tell me about it! :)

If you are as much into heroines as I am you should definitely check out Erin Blakemoor’s The Heroine’s Bookshelf

Who are your fav’s and why?

For example: Do you prefer Hermione or Katniss? Maybe someone totally different leads your top five.

Tell me about your lists in the comments

Love and Words

KJ

Introducing Rachel Shelly

Hello folks :)

Well, you all know how unbelievably reliable I am and you surely remember the huge time gaps between some of my post. So I decided to find some help.
And here she is, my one and only creative and awesome best friend ever :D

Rachel Shelly joins our blog family!

Some words from Rachel: " *sniff* Gosh,... I mean, Oh my god... I'm .... I'm just so honoured! Thank you, thanks to all of you! You cannot believe how grateful I am to join Kim's great blog. I just want to thank my family, and my friends, and my dog, and my plush toys - especially my longtime "5th pillow" Bunny..... -
Nay, just kidding! :D Well, I do really thank my plush toy Bunny for being such a great pillow and preventing my neck from hurting and so on.... ;) but just ignore the fact that I'm a total plush toy addict! <3 (*whisper* you know, I am going to go to the University in a few months.... I'm really too old for that... )
To make one thing clear right from the beginning: I am the Queen of the Crossroads! (For all of the Supernatural lovers :) for the others: just forget it ;)) And don't worry, folks, Rachel's not really the name, just my alias when it comes to creative writing ;)  ('The sky is so blue, a bird sings in a tree - my studies of political science are gonna kick the hell out of me.')
Just do not take my posts too serious and be aware, my internet sucks and hates me! So I don't guarantee for nothing! :P Thank you!"

So thanks to Rachel for that...great introduction and her "lovely" poem :) I'm sure she will be a great addition to our blog :)
So once again: Be nice and say "Hi" to Rachel Shelly.
Love and words
KJ

Challenging myself

Hello guys :)

Since I'm starting to have more time I thought about doing some reading Challenges. Just like last year I am doing the Goodreads 2012 Reading Challenge, but this time that is not enough for me. 

I'm participating in the It's the end of the world (and we like it) Challenge

This challenge is about post-apocalyptic and dystopian novels. Since I love those kind of novels I thought it would be the right challenge for me. 

But I do not know how good this works for me, therefore I am starting with the easy level. The challenge is a yearly challenge so I can update and change my list if things are going well. 

So here is my list: 

It's the end of the world (and we like it) Challenge

Level: Easy (10 books)

Duration: 6. July. 2012 until 6. July. 2013

1. The Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
2. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
3. The Passage by Justin Cronin
4. Lord of the Flies by William Golding
5. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
6. Across the Universe by Beth Revis
7. The Water Wars by Cameron Stracher
8. Matched by Ally Condie
9. The Pledge by Kimberly Derting
10. Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Of course I'll keep you update with my progress since I will be posting a review to each book after finishing it. But to stay updated with the list and find out in what other challenges I want to participate in you can read my Challenge Log over on Goodreads. 

Do you know any of these books? 

Have you ever participated in such a challenge? 

Maybe you want to join me in my quest. Just post your list in the comments :)

Love and Words 

KJ

The Second Annual YA Sisterhood Crush Tournamet

Hello everyone :)
Do you remember when I posted something about Clary and Jace from the Mortal Instruments winning the First Annual YA Sisterhood Summer Crushin Tournament and the YA Sisterhood Heroine Tournament? No? Then read all about it here.

To tell a long story short: The girls of the YA Sisterhood are hosting the second Crush Tournament this year. Well, you probably already guessed it because it wouldn't ne annual if they only did it for one year.
I just wanted to tune in and tell you that the first round will start in July 6. So make sure to get all the infos here and to make sure you all behave like reasonable persons and do not attack anyone because he likes someone you cannot stand read this post. We are all fans of books and we should stick together. Always remember that!

Sadly this will be the last tournament since there were so many problems going on with hate mails and discussions and stuff. I do not want to get into too much detail because I did not participate in anything. I just watched. And I'm not happy about so much hate in book world. Get your act together people!
Noone should be attacked by other people just because his or her opinion on something. Especially not because of some book. If you look at it closely you will remember that does books are not real. The charackters are not real but the people you attack and insult on the internet are real. And even though you don not know and will never meet this people your words can still hurt them very much and cause a lot of trouble.
So please, do not ruin the fun in all this.
I am not saying that no one should be able discuss his opinion in a civil way. I am just saying that you should not fight over books. Because even though books mean the world to me (you all know that) I still remember that they are just books. There is no matter of life and death here. No reason to be mean to anyone. Especially not to the wonderful people who gave us these books (I still cannot believe that a lot of people send hate mails to Cassandra Clare because her characters one. That makes me not just sad but really angry, too.)

So lets all play together nicely, like my mom used to say when I was little.
May the best crush win the tournament!
Love and Words
KJ

The Lizzie Bennet Diaries

Hey guys :)

Well, I could have called this post "The most incredible, awesome, insanely great, (fill in more words like that) thing in history"! But I thought I just name it "The Lizzie Bennet Diaries" since that is what the post is about :)
You may have guessed it until now but The Lizzie Bennet Diaries are the most incredible, awesome, and insanely greatest thing I have encountered lately.
Everyone who is into old English classics (or movies with Collin Firth) may think "Wait, Lizzie Bennet? Isn't that the girl from..." And yes, she is!
It's all about Lizzie Bennet from Jane Austens' Pride and Prejudice. In fact it is a retelling of the story in a modern way through a vlog. And I love it!
You encounter the Lizzie Bennet Diaries (short: LBD) through there official site.
And to give you a little heads up, why I'm so in love with those vlogs, here is the first video where Lizzie introduces herself.

Have I mentioned how great this series is? 2.5 WPF, like Lizzie likes to say is the best "new shortform" since Awkward's DTR. With more than 3000 likes per video, a view count over 3.000.000, and almost 73.000 subscribers this show has a lot of fans. So why not you, too? Even if you're not a fan of Jane Austen or haven't read the book yet this vlogs are unbelievable funny and intelligent.
I spent half the night watching the episodes that are already on and I can only recommend it to everyone!
In fact there are actually using lines from the real Jane Austen book. Can you find them?
Make sure to subscribe to their Youtube channel, Twitter account, Tumbrl... man, this girl is pretty much everywhere on the internet :)
What do you think of this retelling? Are you a fan of Pride and Prejudice? Join the Lizzie Bennet fan club right now! :)
Happy reading
Love and Words
KJ

News you can use

Aloha everyone :)
I hope the summer is wherever you are.
Today it is, again, time for our weekly "news you can use". So here are five news. Learn what happened last week in the world of books:

1. New cover! There have been two cover revealings last week.
First one is Through The Ever Night by Veronica Rossi. It is the follow up novel of Under The Never Sky and will be published on January 8, 2013. To find out more about the author and the series visit the official Goodreads site.
The second one is Requiem, the third book in Lauren Oliver`s Delirium series. Expected publication is in March 2013. Again, to learn,  more about the series, e.g. summaries of the first books, visit the Goodreads site.

2. New Casting! Well, the second season of HBO's Game of Thrones ended a few weeks ago. But fans everywhere have been busy tracking the cast and of couse the new cast members. Everyone wants to know, who will appear in season three and if they are going to stick to A Storm Of Swords as much as they sticked to the other two books.
The series is based on the A Song Of Ice And Fire series by George R.R. Martin.
These castings have been confirmed:

Clive Russel will play Brynden "The Blackfish" Tully
Charlotte Hope has been cast as Myranda (It's not quite clear who Myranda is, though)
Kerry Ingram will play Shireen Florent Baratheon

The next season of Game of Thrones will cover half of the third book.
For rumors about cast choices and suggestions visit this site by spoilerTV. And of course you can keep up with all the latest casting news there.

(3. Movie News! Yeah, there are a hell of a lot (ecxuse those words :D) movies based on YA books right now. So it is really hard to keep track on everything. Our Australien friends from Penguin Between the Lines did this great post about movie news featuring Beautiful Creatures and Legend. Strangely the blog went down and I can't find it anymore. As soon as I get news, I'll post them here!

4. New Releases! Just for Fins by Tera Lynn Childs was released today. To find more information about the next book in her Fins series visit this blog post. 
Soulbound the first novel in the Legacy of Tril series was released a few days ago. It is written by Heather Brewer the author of the Vladimir Tod chronicles. For more information visit the Goodreads site.

5. Well, to be honest there won't be a Five today. There is nothing interesting left to tell you. :) But I'll keep you updated on everything.

Have you read one of the books, are you excited about these news? Personally I'm unbelivable excited for the new season of Game of Thrones, since I loved the first two and am a huge fan of the books.
Love and Words
KJ

The little prince

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is going to be more a comment than an actual review.

I think it's really hard to review a book like this. It's pure poetry.
If you read between the lines this book can make you sad as well as unbelievable happy. It is a great book for children and even more for adults. Because it shows you what really matters in life and what is terrible wrong with us today.

I recommend it to everyone.

Love, words and after reading this book especially roses to everyone!

View all my reviews